Standing full square with those who care

There's A man below in Limerick who has never courted either fame or popularity. His name is Dessie O'Malley. With his rasping voice and verbal assertiveness, he has frequently revealed a deep understanding of what Irish people mean to each other. For all his edgyness he frequently reveals a profound knowledge of the way ordinary people think.

In this context I must confess that I consumed some dark beverage with him and Ken Magennis of the Ulster Unionist Party and the much lamented Jim Kemmy in the noble premises of Young Munsters down the Yellow Road some time ago. There is nothing more important than face-to-face relationships and I am sure we all learned as much about ourselves as we did about each other. It was a significant occasion for all of us, I suppose, but not without its importance.

To get to the nub of the situation; what is being referred to here is Dessie O'Malley's statement in Dail Eireann regarding the showing of sporting events on television and the dangers of multi-national companies being allowed to dictate what happens in the immediate future.

He was speaking in our parliament about a Bill which seeks to tackle the problem of greedy television companies, some controlled by Irish people, who are seeking to control the broadcasting of sporting events. Now, this observer always prefers to be present at matches rather than sit at home or (more likely) in a pub to watch sports events.

In a privileged position, this reporter has been at Olympic Games, world title fights, world title snooker matches, rugby and soccer internationals at home and abroad and numerous All-Ireland hurling and football finals. Some of us are really blessed and we know it!

There can never, however, be a situation in which watching any sport on television can compare with actually being there.

Less than 48 hours ago I sat beside Michael Carruth at lunch and could still feel the extraordinary vibes from that great Saturday morning in Barcelona when the Irish flag flew proudly in the boxing arena and Michael hugged his father, Austin, and Nicholas Cruz as the Irish supporters went wild.

The Irish supporters had astonished everyone earlier when they saluted Wayne McCullough's extraordinarily courageous bid for gold with sustained celebrations.

To get back to terra firma; Dessie O'Malley is from Limerick, a city steeped in a wide realisation of what sport means. Whether it be hurling or soccer or rugby or water sports, Limerick knows and understands sport and its own unique character. (It might be appropriate here, once again, to appeal to the Irish Rugby Football Union to adopt There Is An Isle as an anthem of style, quality and emotion for Irish rugby. There is no way that Ireland's Call will be heard sung with the same passion and spirit; heaven knows we need something to lift our rugby hearts in this regard.)

To return to what O'Malley was talking about in the Dail recently. He was saying something with which everyone will agree, namely that the growing intrusion of "pay per view" television must be resisted by the sports organisations both for their own protection and on our behalf.

For them there is an immediate "pay day", but there is also a "payback time" which might be extremely costly. In the Dail, Dessie O'Malley had this to say: "I hate to think what will happen if the GAA were to go down the same road as the rugby unions".

He had earlier criticised the move to professionalism in rugby and had called for legislation to curb monopoly of ownership in "the media". He described the introduction of professionalism to rugby as "foreign to its interests".

It was all in the context of a debate inspired by the Labour Party which seeks to impose curbs on media monopolies and "pay per view" television companies. All who support this idea are to be supported.

Complacency is the most vicious of attitudes. It is very easy for anyone to let things slip by them and say: "Somebody else will look after that". We all do it. You can nip into any pub in Ireland these weeks and see the World Cup matches on television.

There are dangers here and it is high time that people were made aware of them. The greedy men who are luring us into their webs and their sights will allow us that little attractive taste of the big time for a while and then, when we are trapped, will turn the screw and demand, and unilaterally decide whatever they like as regard to a price which they charge.

Even in our homes we will not be able to resist them.

So, regardless of party politics, let us hear and pay attention to what Dessie O'Malley, or any other politician, says in this matter. It is vital that we who love sport and the ambience which surrounds it make sure that we are not deprived of our heritage.

There is a very profound problem in Irish rugby at present which has been internationally exposed in recent times. The same applies in England, Wales and Scotland. This has been brought about by what is loosely referred to as "professionalism". That is a total nonsense.

The problem has been caused by unadulterated greed emanating from people who have neither respect nor affection for sport of any kind. These greedy men must be resisted at every corner and junction. It matters little who leads the battle.

This column will follow any politician, any road, any idealist, any determined honest effort to keep sport free of the dreadful attacks which have been launched against it by people whose only interest is a bank balance.

The philosopher who said that freedom was under attack only by those who didn't care knew what he was talking about. We need to be vigilant for, if not, we will lose a very important part of our lives.