A split season, no-cash entry, pay TV... a glut of GAA own-goals
I know the big game wasn’t on until 4pm, and the Munster Camogie Final was at 1.45pm, but I like to take my time on those back roads to Thurles.
All of 52 summers have come and gone since I first set foot in the GAA stadium named after a famous old Gael, Tom Semple. His club was the Old Blues of Thurles, though Tom was actually born in Drombane.
I hate driving on the motorway so off I went via Fermoy, Mitchelstown, Galbally and Tipperary town. On then to Dundrum and Tom Semple’s Drombane and Upperchurch and into Thurles near the Race Track.
It’s certainly not the shortest route, nor the best roads either, but when God made time he made plenty of it.
But playing all these games in a blitz-like fashion in April and May is sickening for me. Imagine, by next Sunday - before the month of May has run its course, seven counties will be gone from the Championship in hurling. Absolutely crazy, but look, I’m not going to go into the rights or wrongs of the ‘Split Season’ debate here.
To tell the truth, I’m weary with making the arguments about summer hurling and the promotional value of September finals but no-one seems to listen. You’d swear I was Enemy No.1 of the GAA- a saboteur trying to wreck the Association I love deeply!
Journeying on my own always gives time for thought and sometimes reflection. In fairness, I was overwhelmed on Sunday last listening to an interview with one of my heroes, Fr Brian Darcy. Brendan O’Connor was asking the questions of the Fermanagh native who’ll be 78 on June 1. It was a radio show I’ll never forget. Just one of those occasions when I wished I was driving all the way to Antrim whilst listening all the while to Fr Brian! He’s an amazing man.
A fine Gaelic footballer at club level - he could well have played Senior with Fermanagh, but joining the Passionist Order ended that dream. Abused as a young man, Fr Brian loves music, dancing and showbiz -he became the ‘Unofficial’ Chaplain to so many showband stars - he recalled his special friend Joe Dolan and Brendan played some of his favourite songs - it was just superb listening.
And what a game we had! I thought the atmosphere around the town and near the grounds was close to electric - and that was before the thunder and lightning came!
Maybe because the GAA was founded here, and maybe ’cause Thurles isn’t a huge town on big hurling days, the place is just awash with the very essence of our native game. The fun, banter, craic, laughter and slagging that goes on is unparalleled anywhere else.
It was a bit strange on Sunday due to the fact that the Rebel fans outnumbered the home supporters by five to one - no-one seems to know why that was! They say close to half a million people watched the match on television, with no fees to be paid or fandangles of walls to surmount with broadband or such likes.
As I said we, have had great hurling games this year - as good as many I’ve seen over half a century. So why am I bothered and bewildered? It just saddens me to think the GAA that I am a member of seems to be changing irrevocably, and not in a manner that pleases me.
Last year, we fought a losing battle against the idea of ‘cash only’ games. It came in during Covid which was fair enough. Then the policy of ticket-only was brought in, thus depriving a huge swathe of life-long supporters of the opportunity to see games and support teams they’ve served and loved for decades.
It’s appalling and outrageous. You can go into a match and buy a programme, a drink, a sandwich, chips or a burger or a bar of chocolate and cash is king, no problem at all, no bother; yet that same cash is outlawed at the stiles. That’s a nice way to treat some of our so called ‘grassroots’ - a typical example of GAA double standards!
Unfortunately, the GAA were not for turning on that one.
That was bad enough, but then, in an attempt to get more well-deserved negativity, scorn and condemnation, the GAA built up this loathsome paywall in the guise of showing games that wouldn’t otherwise be seen.
Do ye recall the first two lines of that song The Boys Of The Old Brigade?
Oh father, why are you so sad on this bright Easter morn
When Irish men are proud and glad of the land where they were born
Well, readers, I will tell ye one and all why I am so sad at this time, yes, sad and angry too, and feeling betrayed. It’s bad enough to be betrayed by a stranger or a perceived enemy, but as a GAA member I am seething at our own organisation.
This GAAGo model of broadcasting was brought in a few years back with a single, simple purpose. That was to ensure that people who loved Gaelic games all over the world would be able to view hurling and football games. That was the idea, the plan, the vision, and I challenge anyone, anywhere to tell me otherwise.
It was a brilliant success and came in for praise from Gaels across the globe, who were now able to maintain a link with their native land.
We can talk ’til the cows come home about different broadcasting ‘platforms’ and channels and stations, but the bottom line - for me anyway - is that we the people who run clubs, train teams, raise funds, and look for no personal gain should never be asked to pay to view our games. It matters not a whit, not an iota, if its €1.90, €9 or €87, no, that’s missing the point completely.
The GAA need to provide answers to these very fundamental questions: if members and volunteers no longer worked for the Association, would we have Gaelic games? Would we have club teams or inter-county teams? Would we have a ‘product’ to be selling on the media? We all know the answers don’t we?
People argue that viewers pay for Sky and other sports Channels that cover soccer and rugby, and that’s perfect and grand. Those are professional sports where players, managers, coaches and others get fine pay cheques each week - so if they are making money, why shouldn’t you pay to watch them?
Is that where we want the GAA to go?
Maybe some powerful people in the GAA think ‘it doesn’t matter how we treat our ordinary members -they’ll always be there to work and keep the thing going’.
Well, I can tell them, and anyone who cares to listen, don’t take us for granted, there comes a tipping point and this issue has generated such antagonism towards our great Association.
I recall the debates on Rule 27 and on Rule 42 - they were heated - but the anger brought on the GAA at present - by itself - well, I have never seen or experienced anything like it before.
App?
