The Gaelic Games in Palestine (GAA-P) organization has lodged an official appeal after its team was refused travel visas to Ireland, where they planned to go on a “cultural and sporting tour.”

The Gaelic Athletic Association is the Irish international amateur sporting body focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games such as hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, and Gaelic handball. The Palestinian branch aims to bring Gaelic games to the Ramallah region.

Thirty-three children aged nine to 16 were set to leave for a two-week tour of Ireland on July 18, however, the Irish Immigration Service denied the visas for all of them, as well as the 14 accompanying adults. According to the GAA, 40 dancers and musicians from the Lajee Center in Bethlehem were also denied visas.

Claire Liddy, international spokesperson for GAA Palestine, told RTÉ Radio One on Tuesday that an appeal had been lodged. “The appeals process offered no real opportunity for the trip to proceed, and this is very unfair and untransparent, and deeply frustrating. Other agencies have successfully brought children from various countries to Ireland on similar tours. “Yet, because our players are Palestinian, our [Irish] government is blocking their travel, and this is very, very concerning.”

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According to one social media post, one of the reasons given for refusal was “insufficient evidence submitted of strong obligations to return to your home country.”