GAA and Catholic Church no longer hand in glove

Last Sunday week, the closing mass of the Eucharistic Congress was held in Croke Park.

On one level that’s understandable: the GAA’s big house is a de facto national stadium, as seen when the Special Olympics was held here. But the GAA has also been seen, traditionally, as close to the Catholic Church. Too close? The Association is organised on a parish basis, many clubs carry the names of local saints into combat and bishops threw in the ball to start All-Ireland finals for decades.

The assumption of Catholicism is so all-embracing that when a friend brought his U14 hurlers away on an overnight trip some years ago, he was stunned by one player’s reason for refusing to go to mass on Sunday morning.