Morning Ireland

Gerry Kelly writes ...

I like your GAA special and, speaking of special, it is 20 years now since Teddy McCarthy won both Hurling and Football senior All Ireland medals and it is shameful that we as a county have not celebrated this unique achievement. There are statues and monuments all over Ireland celebrating horses' and dogs' achievements.

Bernadette Fagan writes ...

I heard your discussion with the GAA officials this morning around the price of tickets. They compared themselves with soccer and rugby ticket prices. Do they not realise that they are meant to be an amateur body while both others are professional and therefore have much higher costs? They also had large income from both those bodies during the renovation of Lansdowne Road which should have increased their coffers for several years to come. Surely the benefits of these large profits should be passed on to the fans?

Oisin writes ...

Good to hear Liam Griffin promoting all types of sport. Important that kids participate in some type of physical activity. With regard to Wexford GAA, the county also has an important tradition in handball. Liam mentioned iconic Wexford hurling teams. The name Buggy is synonymous with Wexford hurling and handball. There is a Buggy in the men's senior All-Ireland singles semi next weekend and Goff/Kealing in the men's senior doubles semi. They have all given good service to Wexford senior hurling too. Looks like the strong GAA tradition in Wexford extends to most GAA codes and congrats to them for their efforts.

Gerald O'Carroll writes ...

The GAA is a ruthlessly individualistic organization in my county, Kerry. Some years ago they ploughed up a field which a few youths were using for soccer. The danger with the GAA in a county like Kerry is that the winning habit contributes to a muscular view of human nature only. There is no true democracy, and the populace evolves into followers - with no real evidence of leaders.

Jerome Lordan writes ...

The GAA are not capitalising on the huge overseas tourist market. Poorly attended inter-county matches at Croke Park in summer could be boosted by making tickets available at tourism outlets. The majority of tourists do not attend a GAA fixture during their visit to this country, despite it being a unique Irish experience. Many Irish people have an inferiority complex about our own culture; however, if they saw Americans/English etc going to our games, this would elevate the status of our games in their eyes. Making tickets available at all tourist outlets throughout the country would help spread the greatness of our indigenous games.

Patrick O'Leary writes ...

I notice some sports journalists and GAA people, as well as some other sports people, refer to Croke Park as Croker. Croker sounds awful and looks awful in print; there is nothing smart, attractive or catchy about it. It is a slang term that started with people who did not like the GAA, principally because of its success. The journalists who do use the term always refer to other stadia, of whatever sporting denomination, by their correct titles. GAA headquarters deserves equal dignity of reference, Croke Park.

John Flynn writes ...

I live in Leitrim and suffer each year at Championship time. I propose a new Championship format with qualification rounds at national level for weaker teams like Leitrim. We must get rid of the back door sytem as it would also save money. We spend huge amounts on preparation each year with dismal results. Some of the years we should not be allowed into Champions football. We must allow realism to enter. When I consider that Congress would not accept a new development programme some years back, I gave up ... yet each year they play around with rules and methods of play. They have corrupted the game with these trials and the greatest example is the Australian Rules series. Get rid of it before we don't recognise the game anymore. Shame on Croke Park's response to the Leinster Final debacle ... a clear case of ineptitude and a result of the present malaise within the GAA authority. Your debate is timely.