Time is right to abandon Rule 21

Surely enough, the Bard was right: there is a tide in the affairs of men which taken at the flood leads on to fortune. That tide seems now to be running strongly in favour of the GAA and its role in Irish life. With it comes a wonderful, if not unique, opportunity, for the GAA to make a courageous and positive decision which could only bring it praise.

Recent fears about the suggestion that the GAA should be treated in the same way as the Orange Order for the purposes of keeping the peace on the streets of Northern Ireland have now been dismissed and that is a very good thing indeed.

The suggestion was outrageous, but one could not help but feel apprehensive that the British Government might make another major gaffe. Thankfully, somebody, somewhere managed to persuade Dr Mo Mowlam to see the light. If that person was Bertie Ahern, then people of all shades of political opinion must agree that he deserves our congratulations. So! What of the tide referred to above? This is a reference to Rule 21 which forbids membership of the GAA to members of the RUC and British forces. Oddly enough, when some people who seemed more bent on mischief or worse, rather than common sense, were trying to make sectarian capital out of this rule, nobody stated the obvious.

Members of the Orange Order are not barred from the GAA by any rule of which I am aware.

But, let us not split hairs. What has emerged from the most recent developments is a wonderful opportunity for the GAA to be helpful in moving the peace process forward by abolishing the rule. For those who understand these things, the removal of the rule would not make a scintilla of difference to the GAA, its activities, its perception of itself or its rights as an independent organisation.

It would, however, deprive the enemies of the GAA of an apparent reason to criticise it, pointing out, as they do, that the rule is discriminatory, or even sectarian. It is appropriate to point out that the association has debated this matter at several annual congresses and at some length. It must be understood that, first of all, the rule was introduced at a time in Irish history when the police and armed forces were agencies of the British state and frequently acted against the best interests of the GAA and, in many cases, attempted to infiltrate its ranks to undermine its position. Like many other things from that period in our history, the wounds have not healed as well as they might. Within recent times there have been other wounds inflicted on the GAA. The callous murder of Sean Brown of Bellaghy, who was killed for no other reason but that he was a member of the GAA. Things like that are hard to forget.

At the congress discussions, it was quite apparent that, although there was strong support from within many counties in the Republic, this support was not going to surface or be given expression unless the counties of the GAA in the North were in agreement. There was, of course, the vexed question of the stealing of lands belonging to the Crossmaglen Rangers club in Armagh and the constant harassment of club members.

Some of the criticisms of the GAA in this matter are ill-informed or simply downright malicious. But that, I suppose, is the nature of dispute. There have been indications, however, in the light of recent events, that the GAA might be moving towards shedding some of its historical baggage. During the presidency of Jack Boothman, three highly significant events took place which illustrated that change was possible without anyone being unduly offended.

One of these was when Boothman opened the Gerry Arthurs Stand in St Tiernach's Park in Clones. The Rule 21 matter was getting one of its regular airings. More heat than light was being generated, but, in a highly significant statement, Boothman refereed to the matter in his speech at the opening.

He pointed out that the GAA, like every other body in Ireland, was undergoing change and that further change was inevitable. He then surprised many by referring to the GAA's rules and said that (I paraphrase) if the climate were right, the GAA would not be slow to respond if the association felt that its actions would be helpful in the context of a peaceful Ireland.

Sadly, few of the people and organisations which will take any opportunity to attack the GAA, although given copies of the speech, seemed reluctant to use it. In this matter sections of the media are not blameless. One has only to compare the blanket coverage given to violence at a hurling match in Antrim and the staid, almost apologetic treatment of similar violence at a rugby match down south. Another occasion on which Boothman broke a mould within the GAA was on the occasion of the Canary Wharf bombing which ended the IRA ceasefire. He happened to be in London at the time, and took the opportunity at a GAA function to condemn the bombing without any reservation.

The third significant event in this saga was at a congress in Dublin, three years ago if my memory serves me right, when it was decided to hold a special congress to discuss Rule 21. The move was seen at the time as putting the matter on "the long finger" as well as an effort to defuse a potentially divisive discussion.

Since then, however, two IRA ceasefires have come. One of them has gone, the other remains intact and for the first time in 70 years a British prime minister has met and greeted a man, Gerry Adams, as being the representative of those who speak of "the armed struggle".

Politicians of many hues are actually sitting in the same room together trying, however cautiously, to reach some kind of a modus vivendi which would allow all the people on this island to have respect for each other and their traditions and way of life, including sport. The GAA should not call that congress to debate Rule 21 in the context of what is going on in Stormont. At a stroke of the pen the GAA could capture the high moral ground by outlining the reasons for the rule in the first place and the decision now to remove it as archaic and unhelpful in the context of the future.

Courage is needed, but then that is not an unknown quality in the great game of hurling on the field itself. It was often displayed by Joe McDonagh in his playing and private life. Should he grasp the nettle now, generations of GAA people will be forever in his debt.