Reality 1 Dreamers 0

As the reverberations from the debacle that was the joint bid

Sat, 14 Dec, 2002 - 00:00

Scotland and Ireland to co-host the European Championships in 2008 continue to resound, the entire exercise should afford an opportunity for the country to get a grip on itself.

Hindsight can, obviously, be enlightening , but tunnel vision was essentially the driving force of those who should have known better that, in trying to play a role in the Euro 2008 championship, Ireland was out of its league.

Given that, in the aftermath of the UEFA decision in Geneva, the expected criticism from our would-be Scottish partners has not materialised, it would be appropriate that we put it in perspective ourselves.

It is pointless to blame whatever internal wrangling ensued within the UEFA, because our own Government was at odds with itself on the question of providing a stadium, managed to put the GAA offside, and then made what was obviously an empty gesture in guaranteeing the availability of stadia On the day the decision was announced, the country was shocked and stunned that a pregnant mother was unable to be treated in her local hospital and her newborn baby died.

In the meantime, the Flood and Moriarty tribunals are sitting.