Letter to the Editor: Gaelic football needs a ‘level playing field’

There is great urgency to find a”level playing-field” solution for Brexit. It is equally urgent to find a “level playing-field” solution for inter-county Gaelic football. Otherwise, we may lose one of the great treasures of our past.

The GAA would do well to watch how the UK and EU solve the great problem of “a level playing field”. If the protagonists find a solution in the Brexit context, perhaps it could be adapted to solve the great Gaelic football conundrum and save a really beautiful game from oblivion.

On Sunday last some of those with an interest in the GAA watched two of the most enjoyable and intriguing games played in recent times; or at least since the great cancer that is destroying the All-Ireland competition began to take effect. Gaelic football was played as it was intended and as it was played to the enjoyment of players and spectators alike for almost 130 years. That was before a coincidence of two developments saw the game deteriorate into the shambolic boring mess which is beginning to render playing of inter-county football beyond provincial level redundant. That would however leave the problem of 11 counties of Leinster.

Number one development was an uncontrolled influx of money into the team most likely to win most regularly. Population and financial advantage are so heavily loaded in favour of the capital, that, as one knowledgeable pundit recently suggested, made opposing their playing prowess, entirely futile. The other was, introduction of a playing strategy, which within inadequate rules, entirely changed the spirit and enjoyment of the game. Moving whole teams en masse from one end of the playing-field to the other with possession as primary objective, may be entirely effective and entertaining for soccer and rugby with only occasional scoring, but is proving a destroyer of the long kicking, high catching game Gaelic football was intended to be.

There is great urgency to find a”level playing-field” solution for Brexit. It is equally urgent to find a “level playing-field” solution for inter-county Gaelic football. Otherwise, we may lose one of the great treasures of our past.

Padraic Neary

Tubbercurry

Co Sligo

Problem is a lack of healthcare capacity

Michael Clifford is correct: ‘The public has truly been sold a pup’ (Irish Examiner, November 21) but desiring greater enforcement of the already draconian curbs on civil liberties is seriously barking up the wrong tree.

The real pup was sold in March, when the public was told we should go into lockdown because the virus would overwhelm our health service.

The solution to this problem is clearly to expand the capacity of those relevant areas of the health service.

For example, the BBC reported in April than an exhibition centre in east London was converted into a temporary hospital in nine days. This required the efforts of more than 160 contractors and 200 army engineers working up to 15-hour shifts. In these nine days, 500 fully equipped beds — with oxygen and ventilators — were installed, and there was space for another 3,500.

It’s not that our government wasn’t aware. In April a letter was sent to the Taoiseach and opposition parties emphasising the pressing need to increase ICU capacity quickly. It was penned by organisations such the Intensive Care Society of Ireland, the Joint Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine of Ireland, and the Irish Association of Critical Care Nurses.

A lack of movement on this can’t be blamed on a lack of expertise or guidance. It seems the leader of the aforesaid operation in the UK announced that his team had even drawn up an instruction manual to share with any other countries that wanted to embark on similar projects.

Fast forward five months and only then had we the announcement of the HSE’s winter plan. And still to this day, the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) justifies level 5 restrictions on the basis of Ireland’s lack of healthcare capacity.

It stands to reason, then, that if we had enhanced HSE capacity sooner — rather than just getting round to it now — there would be no need to have the country currently at level 5.

We hear blame attributed to young people partying. And we hear caustic remarks made about the perceived lack of public spirit of that section of the community that’s less obedient to the dictates and decrees of an increasingly authoritarian government.

What we should be hearing is the question; why, all these months on from the March lockdown, do we still lack the healthcare capacity?

John Friel

Kincasslagh

Co Donegal

Level 5 restrictions lack effectiveness

It is obvious that level 5 restrictions have not had anywhere near the buy-in or effectiveness of the original lockdoen that started in March.

Not only are schools still open, but the Government has not demonstrated that it has made any substantive effort to stop employers forcing employees to go into offices when they could work from home, and has allowed its TDs to brief against level 5 restrictions as a mistake very soon after we entered them.

Increasing buy-in and social solidarity would have been a much better use of this Government’s time. If it continues to focus more on briefing against Nphet in the meantime people will be forgiven for not been the most optimistic about what our future holds.

Tomás M Creamer

Ballinamore

Co Leitrim

Post offices are risk to elderly people

As a pensioner and nurse, I must place on record my admiration for the chief medical officer Tony Houlihan and his determination to safeguard the vulnerable people in this time
of Covid 19.

However, his efforts are being undermined by post offices that deal largely with elderly people. Why is it that during this level 5 lockdown, the post office has re-introduced the practice of everyone having to sign weekly for their pension entitlement? Surely this practice only increases the risk of infection especially when all the vulnerable people have to sign using the same pen and electronic equipment?

During the first lockdown pensions were paid every two weeks and this method cut down on visits to the post office and reduced the risk of infection. Now during level 5 the post office has reverted to weekly sign-on payments. To me, it does not make any sense and only serves to place elderly people at the risk of infection.

We cannot allow our post offices frequented by our most vulnerable people to become sources of infection. The post office must take measures to safeguard their vulnerable customers.

Patricia O’Connor

Skehard Road

Cork

All pull together to fight Covid-19

I believe we all need to pull our weight to halt the spread of Covid-19, but I think this pandemic has, in a way, brought out the worst in us as a nation. It seems many peopleare entertaining themselves by watching, excitedly, ready to pounce in the event that one of our neighbours might breach the restrictions.

A solitary scene of youths drinking in a dark urban street will inevitably cause the word “disgraceful” to trend on twitter the following day. Or indeed it may prompt a member of the Oireachtas to call in the army to tackle them.

If we are all in this together then we need to look out for one another, we need to focus our attention on whether the elderly man next door has enough turf in for the fire, not on whether or not he wears a mask while he collects his pension.

The situation in RTÉ was not ideal, but why should it dominate our minds? Why should it be the number one news item that day, when there are far more pressing issues to discuss, like the scandal of rising homeless deaths, or suicide rates in direct provision centres, or the fact that nursing homes are still begging for help nearly eight months into the pandemic?

We need to look out for one another, rather than pulling back the curtain in judgment and condemnation.

Luke Silke

Tuam

Co Galway

A bridge too far?

Des MacHale — ‘Southgate Bridge?’ (Irish Examiner, Letters, November 21) might well be mistaken that South Gate Bridge is named after an English football manager. More likely after a Cork area, surely.

Des suggests the bridge could be lumbered with the acceptable English handle of Jack Charlton.

No — I’d opt for Boris Johnson, the greatest British prime minister since Churchill saved us all from Nazi Germany. Boris now has persuaded the British through the ballot box to escape the clutches of the more modern EU dictatorship, with Berlin again at its heart. For this alone his great legacy will never be forgotten.

We Paddies won’t have any need to vote along similar lines, because the EU will have disbanded long before this might arise as a desperate challenge. And Boris has backbone, so let’s go with the Bo-Jo Bridge.

Robert Sullivan

Bantry

Co Cork

Historic rematch

With the same four counties winning provincial football honours as in 1920 and with crowds not an issue, surely at least one of the 2020 All-Ireland football semi-finals could be played at a provincial venue, perhaps Navan for Dublin v Cavan, the same venue at which the 1920 semi-final was played.

Gerry Crosbie

Ballsbridge,

Dublin 4