The GAA will not make tickets available to Sinn Féin for the All-Ireland finals this year in response to the use of Casement Park in Belfast for a hunger-strike rally last month in defiance of an order from Croke Park.
The GAA traditionally allows Oireachtas members an opportunity to buy tickets for matches when their counties are involved.
The offer is also made to members of the nationalist parties in Northern Ireland from the counties involved. This offer has been made in the past to unionist politicians interested in attending.
However, it emerged yesterday that the organisation will not offer any tickets to Sinn Féin, arising from that party's use of its grounds despite the GAA's refusal to give permission.
There was no official comment yesterday from the GAA. However, a Croke Park official said: "Tickets are issued generally to county boards and clubs. The small allocation of discretionary tickets is issued on the principle of mutual respect."
The implication that "mutual respect" does not now exist between the GAA and Sinn Féin follows the rally two weeks ago to commemorate the 1981 H-Block hunger-strikes. Some 20,000 people attended the event at Casement Park, despite the prior decision of the GAA's central council that the rally should not take place.
The central council ordered that the rally should not be held there because it was in breach of regulations that the organisation must not be seen to endorse party political events.
In spite of this, the local Antrim County Board allowed the ground to be used, although there were different views on the issue within that body.
The event was not officially organised by Sinn Féin, but was dominated by speeches from Sinn Féin figures. Members of the hunger-strikers' families also played a role.
This is not the first time the GAA has withheld tickets from parties as a result of political events.
Back in the mid-1980s it withheld tickets from members of the Fine Gael/Labour coalition in an unsuccessful protest against VAT on the sale of hurleys.
While the tickets offered to Oireachtas members are not free, the offer allows politicians to obtain tickets for games which would be sold out. Free Ard Comhairle tickets are given only to the President, the Taoiseach and Cabinet members.
Sinn Féin Kerry North TD Martin Ferris, whose county will play in this year's All-Ireland football final, said yesterday that he had not heard of the GAA decision. He said he had bought tickets offered by the GAA for the All-Ireland finals of 2002, 2004 and 2005, in which Kerry was involved.
While the GAA is not offering Sinn Féin the usual courtesy this year, it is open to party members to obtain tickets through GAA clubs in the same way as members of the public, although this is exceptionally difficult for All-Ireland finals due to demand.