Seán Kilfeather’s 1991 column on such a damaging episode for the GAA

The monumental arrogance of the modern GAA would be enough to drive Michael Cusack and Archbishop Croke weeping into each other's arms. The two were far from bosom buddies but they had a clear and uncluttered vision of what the GAA should be and they set these views out in unequivocal language. Much of that bright vision has been lost in the misty-eyed hypocrisy of some of the men who have followed them but neither that far-sighted pair nor many another idealist who genuinely sought to wear their mantle could ever have envisaged the shameful posturing which have marked the recent events in regard to the RDS double bill.

Less than two weeks ago the GAA announced that it was interested in attracting a major sponsor for the All-Ireland series and when I opined that a figure in the region of £1 million was being sought, the GAA's public relations officer, Danny Lynch, phoned to say that I had sold the scheme short and that £3 million to £5 million would be the price of any serious bid to sponsor these games in football and hurling.

What price now the good name of a sponsor being linked with that of the GAA? Not a lot. And why? Because a tightly knit coterie of narrow-minded power-brokers have found ready and supine support from within their own ranks and for reasons which are unfathomable have set back by a score of years the reputation of the organisation they seek to serve.

Some years ago I had cause to discuss membership of the GAA with the then chairman of the Monaghan County Board, Peter Sherry. Asked how he would define membership of that organisation, his answer was probably the wisest and most perceptive I have ever heard in regard to this matter. "Membership of the GAA is a state of mind," he said.

If that is the case there can be very few people in this country who are not members. A big day out at Croke Park or Thurles or Clones or Hyde Park will always encompass people old and young from all sections of our diverse community.

Strands

When Down played and won so spectacularly in Croke Park last September all strands of political, religious and social opinion were represented. Even representatives of the British government in Northern Ireland were present. Ambassadors from other countries are frequent attenders at Gaelic games. On such days we are all members of the GAA.

The GAA belongs to the Irish people, Catholic, Protestant and dissenter. It does not belong to those who are merely active in its games and in its meeting rooms. It is as much a possession of all the people as the air we breathe. The GAA, quite properly, addresses itself to matters of heritage and birthright. It does not, however, have exclusive rights to these facets of our lives; it shares them with all Ireland’s citizens and by extension with all humanity.

That is not putting too strong a case. It is merely a realistic appreciation of the way things are. The French language does not only belong to the French, nor the English language only to the English.

It was good to be in the Dodder Room in the RDS last week to see people like Paddy Cullen and Noel King chatting together, over a drink with Tommy Carr. It was good that David Beggy was on the pitch playing for Leinster being watched by several Meath teammates last Saturday in Donnybrook. It was good to be in the company of three members of the Cork hurling team at the same venue the previous week as they watched their friends from Cork Constitution play Old Wesley. It was good that such a distinguished sportsman and politician as Jack Lynch should choose the occasion of a hurling club dinner to put a recent craven decision into perspective.

The GAA, in its expression of objectives in its rule-book, speaks to its members of its commitment to the ideal of a 32-county Ireland free of racial, political and social strife. That is a noble aspiration and there are many ways in which the GAA can contribute to the furtherance or even achievement of that aim. What has happened within the past couple of weeks is at variance with that aspiration and damaging to the possibility of its achievement.

Protestant Unionist people

What has the GAA said to the Protestant Unionist people of Down and the other six countries which constitute Northern Ireland? Has it said that a 32-county Ireland would recognise, respect and foster the culture which they hold dear? Has it said that all the citizens of a 32-county Ireland would be regarded as equals and that friendly ecumenical contact between different cultures and traditions would be encouraged and promoted? The answer to these questions is an unequivocal “no”.

The GAA’s hierarchy can fulminate and filibuster as much as it likes. It matters not a whit what their current excuse is. They spoke of “vested grounds” and that was seen for what it was – a sham. They spoke of rules and regulations, they issued statements to explain earlier statements.

They have, in Yeats's immortal words, "disgraced themselves again". They bring to mind the lines from An Cailleach Beara: "Mor mo nair', A clann fein do dhiol a mathair."