All-Ireland medals not what they used to be

THE GAA executive, allegedly on the advice of marketing consultants, last year decided to denationalise its All-Ireland medals for hurling and football by omitting the replica of the national sovereign seal from them.

The first to receive the denationalised new all-Ireland medals were the magnificent Kilkenny hurling team, perhaps the greatest hurling team in the 125 years of the GAA. The unsolicited change of design of the All-Ireland medals and the secrecy surrounding the decision must pose grave doubts about the quality of transparency and democracy existing within the GAA for its members at club, division, county board and provincial council level on such a key and fundamental change that led to the exclusion of the replica of the sovereign seal of the Irish nation from the most revered medals in Irish sport.

Has the GAA actively begun to shred its shroud of national heritage and culture, as well as reducing its dependence on volunteerism and its amateur status, in pursuit of its growing commercial interests.