GAA MISSES GOLDEN CHANCE
GAA misses golden chance
IN many ways, this has been another excellent year for the GAA. A range of important new facilities have been provided across the country, and attendances at big games have been enormous.
Indeed, the all-Ireland finals in both hurling and football provided exceptionally high levels of skill, sportsmanship and excitement.
The GAA has also proved its generosity by donating more money to victims of the Omagh atrocity than any other sporting organisation.
Unfortunately, other aspects of the GAA's response to the Omagh tragedy were less positive.
Officials came under widespread criticism for their decision to proceed with a major hurling fixture at Croke Park on the day after the explosion.
Worse was to follow when attempts to secure the main GAA stadium in Omagh for a one-off charity soccer match in aid of the disaster fund were frustrated at national level.
This decision sparked an unprecedented revolt among normally ultra-loyal GAA members in Tyrone, and threatened the possibility of an extremely damaging confrontation with some elements in the association's hierarchy.
The GAA was only spared further embarrassment when Omagh Town soccer club, In a dignified and restrained statement, announced that the charity game would be staged at a smaller venue elsewhere.
What some GAA officials did not seem to realise was that the symbolic gesture of playing a soccer match at a GAA ground would have been a significant part of the reconciliation process in Omagh.
A similar lack of vision could be detected during the course of the prolonged and bitter debate over the possible deletion of the GAA's rule 21 ban on members of the British security forces.
The issue was effectively fudged last May, when a special congress resolved that the ban would only be dropped when progress was made on
policing reforms in Northern Ireland.
A number of individuals may have felt that the matter would quietly fade away, but that was never likely to be the case.
Yesterday, the saga took a new twist when it emerged that the GAA had no plans to make any form of submission to the Patten commission. This could only be described as a particularly curious piece of logic on the part of the association.
GAA members plainly had a lot to say about the RUC at internal meetings up and down the country last spring.
At the special congress, it was clear that Chris Patten's final report would have a central influence on the ultimate fate of rule 21.
In all the circumstances, it was quite bizarre that the GAA should spurn the opportunity to express its views to the Patten commission.
It is worth stressing that political parties and other groups representing all shades of opinion in the community have already made submissions to the body.
The president of the GAA, Joe McDonagh, took a courageous stance earlier this year when he declared that the association should play its part in the search for peace, even if this meant taking some risks.
Mr McDonagh was absolutely justified in his efforts to remove rule 21, a measure which has allowed the GAA to be portrayed, most unfairly, as a sectarian organisation.
It is deeply regrettable that some of Mr McDonagh's colleagues have not given him the support he deserved.
IN many ways, this has been another excellent year for the GAA. A range of important new facilities have been provided across the country, and attendances at big games have been enormous.
Indeed, the all-Ireland finals in both hurling and football provided exceptionally high levels of skill, sportsmanship and excitement.
The GAA has also proved its generosity by donating more money to victims of the Omagh atrocity than any other sporting organisation.
Unfortunately, other aspects of the GAA's response to the Omagh tragedy were less positive.
Officials came under widespread criticism for their decision to proceed with a major hurling fixture at Croke Park on the day after the explosion.
Worse was to follow when attempts to secure the main GAA stadium in Omagh for a one-off charity soccer match in aid of the disaster fund were frustrated at national level.
This decision sparked an unprecedented revolt among normally ultra-loyal GAA members in Tyrone, and threatened the possibility of an extremely damaging confrontation with some elements in the association's hierarchy.
The GAA was only spared further embarrassment when Omagh Town soccer club, In a dignified and restrained statement, announced that the charity game would be staged at a smaller venue elsewhere.
What some GAA officials did not seem to realise was that the symbolic gesture of playing a soccer match at a GAA ground would have been a significant part of the reconciliation process in Omagh.
A similar lack of vision could be detected during the course of the prolonged and bitter debate over the possible deletion of the GAA's rule 21 ban on members of the British security forces.
The issue was effectively fudged last May, when a special congress resolved that the ban would only be dropped when progress was made on
policing reforms in Northern Ireland.
A number of individuals may have felt that the matter would quietly fade away, but that was never likely to be the case.
Yesterday, the saga took a new twist when it emerged that the GAA had no plans to make any form of submission to the Patten commission. This could only be described as a particularly curious piece of logic on the part of the association.
GAA members plainly had a lot to say about the RUC at internal meetings up and down the country last spring.
At the special congress, it was clear that Chris Patten's final report would have a central influence on the ultimate fate of rule 21.
In all the circumstances, it was quite bizarre that the GAA should spurn the opportunity to express its views to the Patten commission.
It is worth stressing that political parties and other groups representing all shades of opinion in the community have already made submissions to the body.
The president of the GAA, Joe McDonagh, took a courageous stance earlier this year when he declared that the association should play its part in the search for peace, even if this meant taking some risks.
Mr McDonagh was absolutely justified in his efforts to remove rule 21, a measure which has allowed the GAA to be portrayed, most unfairly, as a sectarian organisation.
It is deeply regrettable that some of Mr McDonagh's colleagues have not given him the support he deserved.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0470
Published Date: 30-Oct-98
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