GAA board played by rules
The baying from the media and others, with some fair-minded exceptions, suggests that the rules are there to be ignored while at the same time churlishly accusing the board of using them for their own ends.
Rules are there for everyone’s benefit to be implemented without fear or favour.
I have two criticisms.
1. Concerning the clubs’ votes, while the club officers should have been aware of the procedures, it was remiss of the county board not to advise beforehand.
2. Why was the issue of county convention procedure not pursued further at congressional level?
It would appear that congress was negligent in not giving serious consideration to this matter, as well as not checking whether in fact the two-thirds majority rule was enforced at club level.
To argue that Cork stood alone in the South (bar Monaghan) smacks of partitionism (Irish Examiner, April 20). What about the Six Counties? My views, basically, are the same as theirs.
I am in favour of opening up all GAA grounds to other sports, subject to the practicalities and good management, but only if the conditions and climate are right.
I would put Cork’s and Monaghan’s decision another way. They were the only two counties in the Republic to stand by the Six Counties. They must feel let down again. As for the presidency, Christy Cooney could have played the politics of the day, but chose not to, and stuck to his views.
With regard to the Croke Park issue, I cannot understand the one-track mind displayed by the vast majority.
Was there any question as to why the FAI don’t have its own facilities? Where is all the money they made during the years of Jack Charlton and Mick McCarthy?
The GAA, an amateur organisation, has ground and club facilities, second to none in every club in the country, and especially in Cork.
Frank Murphy, the Cork county secretary, who gets a lot of unwarranted blame for everything, and his staff, with the help of all the clubs, have given very good leadership over the last 30 years or so, resulting in the facilities we have today.
Like most people, I would love to see all our international teams being in a position to play in Croke Park, but when it comes to soccer the question then arises: “Do we allow one of both of the ‘Irish’ teams in?”
We all can live with the temporary nature of sporting organisations redeveloping their facilities and being facilitated while doing so, the IRFU being a case in point. But as the FAI have no grounds to develop, they must be the cuckoos of international sport.
Brendan O’Neill
Dundanion Court
Blackrock Road
Cork
