GAA should not be the whipping boy

Pleasing all the people even some of the time is a task not designed for the faint-hearted. When Charlie McCreevy decided to give the GAA a grant of £20 million from the National Lottery he must have known that the fur would fly in every direction - and so it has. He knew that it was inevitable that all sorts of other "good causes" would complain that they should have been the recipients of the money available.

The first thing that has to be said is that Charlie was merely recognising the fact that sport was always intended to be one of the main beneficiaries of the National Lottery. Since it was set up, there have been constant complaints that successive Ministers for Finance have plundered the funds for purposes not originally on the list of Lottery projects.

The people who complain about this latest grant will do so with some vehemence because the GAA is always a convenient whipping boy. These same people will be clammouring for tickets next September.

Down the years, since 1894, the GAA has done an enormous work for communities, urban and rural, in the 32 counties of Ireland and, in doing so, took on tasks which would otherwise have been the responsibility of the Government. Nor is the GAA the only sporting body which has, through voluntary effort, helped to ease the burden of community work which would otherwise have fallen on Government shoulders. The recognition by the Government of the work of the GAA in this regard should be widely welcomed.

The GAA has also pointed out that the association is a significant contributor to Government funds by way of VAT, PAYE and PRSI. The re-building of Croke Park will, for instance, employ 250 people over a period of seven years. The GAA has invested vast sums of money in providing its own premises. Work in progress throughout the 32 counties is costing in the region of £20 million. It must also be recognised that GAA supporters throughout the country contribute huge sums of money to towns, villages and cities as they congregate for matches big and small. Just as it is inevitable that the begrudgers will bemoan the fact that the GAA has been given this huge grant, they will also berate the GAA for not allowing soccer and rugby to use the facilities which they have, with such determination and foresight, provided. It is only fair, however, to take a look at what the future will hold as a result of this unexpected availability of public money. When the new Croke Park is finished, having cost something in the region of £140 million, including grants from the Government, it will be able to accommodate 80,000 and will be one of the finest stadiums in the world.

It will be a proud monument to the vision and hard work of thousands of Irish people and something of which all Irish people can be proud. When that day comes there will be tremendous pressure, moral and financial, on the GAA to be generous to other sports, insofar as use of the ground is concerned. When one looks at the line-up of nations from all over the world taking part in World Cup tournaments in rugby and soccer, one must conclude that it would be ridiculous if the best stadium in Ireland were not to be available for international rugby and soccer events. Take rugby. There is no reason whatever in modern times for a ban on rugby's use of Croke Park for big occasions. In the first place, it is a completely international game and is no longer confused, even in the most complicated Irish mind, with the British garrison. It is, in fact, a game after the GAA's own heart. The border does not come into the reckoning, it is a game played by all sections of the community, embracing all political opinions and none. A day at Lansdowne Road for an international match gives us a small but significant glimpse into what Wolfe Tone's United Ireland might be like.

In the present climate of peacemaking, the GAA could afford to be generous, both spiritually and commercially, by allowing a limited and designated number of international rugby matches. By the time the stadium is finished the GAA might well be under severe financial pressure which might concentrate minds wonderfully.

Soccer is a somewhat different matter. For a start, a considerable amount of extra money would have to be spent on bringing the pitch to international FIFA standard. But that could be a wise investment. For a start it would be an ideal location for some of the big European club matches. Again the GAA could benefit financially from such a move.

The fact that soccer in Ireland is controlled by two bodies doesn't come into it. That is a dispute not of the GAA's making and need not influence the argument either way. We are on the cusp of a new millennium and, let us hope, a new era of peace in our land. The GAA can make a huge contribution to our future, commensurate with what it has given in the past. The vision which has led to the rebuilding of Croke Park can be replicated in its attitude to how it sees itself in the years ahead.

The ball is in and the game is on!