Sky deal wrong move by GAA

I am concerned at the GAA/Sky Sports deal. The ethos of the GAA is community, social cohesion, participation, inclusiveness and a certain egalitarianism — yes there are top or elite players, but they are not more important than those who run street leagues, line pitches and wash jerseys.

The GAA’s achievement is a sporting and cultural wonder of the world. Given the collapse in reputation of so many of our institutions the GAA stands unblemished — it is more than likely our most important agent of social cohesion.

In stark contrast, the ethos of Sky’s parent company, the Murdoch Empire, is an extraordinarily virulent form of global capitalism, the core value being make money regardless of cost to society — just look at the recent Press Inquiry in Britain, or the Sun’s political interventions in Britain over the last three decades for confirmation.