Case against ‘opening’ Croke Park
In recent weeks and months much has been written and huge radio and TV coverage has been given to the issue. The vast majority of the coverage has been alarmingly slanted in one direction - the ‘open it up’ lobby.
As grassroots GAA members we feel it is a disgraceful situation that our association has provided no information in the form of facts and figures on the proposed rule change.
The media-led campaign for changing Rule 42 has dominated the debate. One might have expected that the very least the GAA at national level could have done was circulate a fact sheet outlining the pros and cons of the situation.
At least then informed decisions could be made. Those of us genuine GAA members who have the good of the association at heart have been pilloried, insulted, branded as bigots and unpatriotic traitors. Could we now have the temerity to seek a right of reply to our detractors?
1. The GAA, as an indigenous amateur association, will lose its greatest promotional tool to its competitors - both of which are professional international sports with unlimited markets and access to huge financial backing.
2. It is the thin end of the wedge - once the precedent is set, it is only a matter of time before pressure will mount for club or county grounds to be used similarly and to make up for the shortfall in facilities of rival sporting bodies nationwide. If the GAA has one rule covering Croke Park and another covering all other grounds, we will quickly be accused of being hypocritical. (Could this move leave the GAA open to a possible legal challenge?).
3. Opening up Croke Park would eliminate the need for soccer and rugby to provide meaningful capital investment of their own. This would allow them spend their resources on games promotion and development at schools and underage level, giving them a huge competitive edge.
4. We in the GAA are proud of our open-plan, free-movement stadium. To comply with FIFA regulations, crowd segregation would have to be enforced, including separate exits to avoid a potential Heysel or Hillsborough disaster, or a Lansdowne Road riot situation.
5. Surely the main aim of the GAA should be to promote Gaelic games and play more hurling, football, camogie and ladies football games in Croke Park rather than facilitating competing professional sports.
Why are we making major decisions in a climate of ignorance, ie, has planning permission been sought for the re-development of Lansdowne Road?
If not, why not? Can the redevelopment there be done on a phased basis, as was done with Croke Park?
John Arnold
Bartlemy
Fermoy
Co Cork
Mathuin Mac Fheorais
Dundrum
Dublin
Mairtin Ó Coighligh
Chancellors Road
Newry
Co Down
Eamonn Kelly
Oranmore Road
Galway
