GAA sets a fine financial example

THERE is a common perception that country people tend to be hugely impressed by the vast scale and expanse of major cities.

This isn’t strictly true. It certainly wasn’t the case for Molly McNally. Molly is from my home town, a woman who entertained at a kitchen table where laughter and tea were guaranteed.

She once visited New York, where her late husband, Jim, insisted that they should go to the top of the Empire State Building — at night.

Jim, a man who was made for America, would have loved that sort of thing. Molly was distinctly underwhelmed. When asked to describe the view, she said it was “nothing but a pile of lights.”

I would also come from Molly’s school of thought, and I’ve been thinking about her observation since I arrived in Kuala Lumpur with the All Stars.

Kuala Lumpur really struggles when it comes to tourist attractions. The number one draw is the twin towers, which are famous for being tall. Tickets for the towers must be bought in advance. The popularity can partly be explained by the fact that there’s not much else to do.

I will not be buying a ticket, partly in honour of Molly, and partly because I know all I’m going to see is ‘a pile of concrete’.

The really fascinating sights of Kuala Lumpur can be viewed from closer range. On our first night in town, the touring party were guests at a function that was held in Havana, a perfectly respectable restaurant, pub and nightclub.

I was sitting in a booth chatting to Kieran from Belfast. It was about 11pm. He pointed to four girls that were standing in front of us. They looked like perfectly ordinary girls.

“Night life only starts to really get going about this time,” he explained to me. “The girls don’t come out until quite late.”

“Why is that?” I enquired innocently. “Are they students or do they not finish work until late in the evening?”

Kieran gave me a look which I now believe to have been one of pity. “They would be working right through the night, if you know what I mean,” he said.

“Ahh,” I replied and turned to tell a journalistic colleague about this stunning revelation. But my friend already had them sussed. “How did you know?” I asked.

“Very simple,” he answered. “When I looked at them, they looked back at me. And when four women return my gaze, I know there is something seriously wrong.”

Judging by the TV bulletins, it’s pretty cold back home. The Irish recession is global news. Al Jazeera has a reporter in Dublin. So has CNN. The Irish financial crisis is on nearly every channel. There are routine updates from reporters wrapped in coats and scarves, talking about the big chill and the big bailout.

There are no signs of recession in Kuala Lumpur. This column is being written against a background noise of heavy construction. From my room on the 18th floor, I can watch two skyscrapers starting their slow ascent into the heavens. Men in hard hats dart about like ants under the cranes. It’s like Dublin used to be.

The ex-pats in Kuala Lumpur will not be coming home in a hurry. While they don’t broadcast it, they seem to be doing pretty well for themselves. Most work for companies who pay their rent and cover the cost of sending their children to international schools.

Yet, despite their affluence, they have retained the traditional values of the GAA. The volunteer spirit is central to everything they do.

It’s just as well, because they’ve had to do everything themselves. In true GAA fashion, Orang Éire received no outside funding to help them host the tour. It will actually cost them money. The members aren’t complaining. They understood the obligations when they signed up. They agreed because their long-term strategy is to host the Asian Championships in 2012.

There is much to praise about Orang Éire. The internationalism is astounding. The wives and girlfriends of the committee, none of whom are Irish, or have any connection to the GAA, produced the match programmes, designed and ordered the polo-shirts and looked after all the marketing.

But if Orang Éire’s willingness to soak up the financial costs of this project is admirable, then you’ve also got to tip your hat to the GAA. They haven’t given Orang Éire a bean, yet the club still feels honoured to have been chosen as the destination for the 2010 All Star trip. To save a few pounds, the GAA also took the players to Kuala Lumpur via Abu Dhabi. Etihad were providing the flights so it worked out cheaper.

Meanwhile, Vodafone are evidently champing at the bit to renew their sponsorship of the All Star scheme. But Croke Park is keeping them on a long leash. It’s retaliation for Vodafone withdrawing from the All-Ireland football championships. In the midst of a recession, the GAA can still afford to pick and choose its sponsors. San Francisco has already been booked for next year.

Vodafone might eventually get the gig, but they’ll have to fight for it. They might even have to stump up more cash.

While Croke Park is counting its cash, the Irish government is counting the cost of bankruptcy. If Irish politicians needs to learn how maximise their income and minimise their expenditure, then they could do worse than take a long, hard look at the GAA.

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