Sir, - In your edition of April 9th, you reported that Pat Fanning of Waterford spoke at the GAA Congress against the opening of Croke Park to other sports. Mr. Fanning and was president of the GAA at the time of the removal of the "ban" in 1971. He was also opposed to that move but, in fairness, he oversaw the dramatic change in the affairs of the association in a statesmanlike manner.
In your edition of April 13th you quote the 1998 Hurler of the Year, Tony Brown, as being in favour of other sports being granted access to the facilities of Croke Park.
Messrs Fanning and Brown are both members of the Mount Sion GAA Club in Waterford City. The former is now a senior citizen, while the latter is a young man in the prime of his sporting life.
Isn't it interesting to note the difference in attitude between two staunch GAA men, both drawn from the same tradition, and both hailing from the same part of the country?
Perhaps the debate within the GAA is not primarily about economics, as some of your correspondents would have us believe. Maybe it is more a matter of evolution. - Yours, etc.,
Tom Maher, Grange Heights, Waterford.