Another Olympics, another whine

DUE to circumstances somewhat beyond my control — events, dear boy — I’ve seen very little of the Olympics. I’ve read enough and heard enough on radio, however, to know that the usual whine has started about Irish sporting underachievement.

What underachievement? Did Munster not win the Heineken Cup? Apart altogether from Pádraig Harrington’s brilliance in winning two majors this year, have we not had a succession of Irish wins at both individual and team level in golf?

Do we not have a decent quota of professional boxers keeping us interested? Most of all, however, are we not coming to the climax of yet another big GAA season? The cry is up there again, more money for our Olympic programme please, so we can win a few medals. Well, do I want to see Pat Hickey and his cohorts getting more money?

Not for a moment do I believe that we have ever been well served in this country, by any government, when it comes to the provision of sporting facilities. Were it not for the voluntary bodies, the GAA prime among those, we would have nothing. Take away the GAA fields, the soccer, rugby, hockey and golf facilities provided by the various voluntary bodies, what would we have left in this country, where would we take our exercise?

There are many blights on the Irish political landscape, the health service being the one currently hogging the limelight, but the almost complete lack of investment in sporting — and thus health-oriented — facilities by successive governments over the years is up there. Of late there’s an attempt being made but as in so many vital areas, we’re only playing catch-up, and we’re still a long, long way behind.

Look, I’d love to see a situation where we were winning pots of gold at every Olympics, where we became the New Zealand of the northern hemisphere, basked in the reflected glory of our runners, our sailors, our rowers, our shooters, all winning medals here, there and everywhere. That’s a lovely ultimate goal. What I’d like to see now is our Government investing in us all, investing in the general population with the provision of decent all-weather training facilities, indoor and out, in every medium-sized town in the country. Swimming-pools, gyms, running tracks, athletics equipment, sheltered from this abysmal weather, with crèche facilities attached, coffee-shops and cafes, all properly run.

In the meantime, my hat is off to outfits like the FAI, the IRFU, and most of all, to the GAA. I listen to my radio telling me we have no champion athletes, then I go to Croke Park and I see Kilkenny and Cork in one All-Ireland hurling semi-final, I see Waterford and Tipp on the following Sunday. Between times we have the gaelic footballers of Tyrone, Dublin, Cork and Kerry. Do you dare tell me these are not champion athletes?

Every year, these are the kind of athletes that bring me joy. I would love to see another Michael Carruth (I don’t count the Atlanta haul, forever tainted as far as I’m concerned even if nothing was ever proved), another Ronnie Delaney, even John Treacy and Sonia with their silver, but my bread and butter is hurling, is rugby, is Gaelic football to a degree — all the rest is jam. I would like to see the Government boost its investment in those team sports, in the facilities for those sports, in the kind of programmes in which we can all get involved.

WE’RE an island nation with strong indigenous sports, let’s build on that. Why do we not have municipal swimming-pools and associated activities in every town? Why do we not have public water-sports schools and programmes dotted all around the coastline? Why do we not have sailing, wind-surfing, snork-elling, scuba-diving, fishing, a base in every coastal town, in every lake? Why do we not have decent public facilities in our public walking routes?

There would be substantial public investment involved in all of this, but there would also be substantial returns in two major areas particularly — better health, improved tourism both local and international. I hope our boxers go on to do well in these Games, I hope someone steps forward from the Irish contingent, but even if they don’t, I’m still proud enough and happy enough with our achievements in Beijing. In the meantime, I look forward to a mouth-watering All-Ireland hurling final, I look forward to seeing how Cork fare against Kerry, and I wish Wexford the very best against Tyrone — what a few weeks of sport we have in prospect, without ever leaving the country at all.

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