Parish row - GAA should be flexible

The Gaelic Athletic Association is the most successful sporting organisation on this island. It has provided state-of-the-art sporting facilities for generations, especially in areas where no other facilities were available.

The parish rule has served the organisation well, but there are undoubtedly times when exceptions should be made. The current controversy in Kerry would seem to be one such instance. Two children attending school in the parish of Listry — just 1km from their home — are barred from playing with the team in Listry because they live in the parish of Faha, but their club is 11km away.

There are many examples of well-known Kerry footballers who played for teams outside the area in which they lived, because they, or their father, had formed an earlier allegiance. Members of the county board rightly turned a blind eye, so it seems strange that they would adopt an intransigent attitude in this instance.