Madam, - Mr Kevin Gallagher (December 12th) refers to Croke Park as "a symbol of a sectarian past and present still enforced by the officers of the GAA". Such inaccurate use of langage should be avoided at all costs as it has caused the loss of many GAA lives during the recent Troubles.
The GAA is an organisation formed by a group of spirited Irishmen who had the foresight to realise the importance of establishing a national organisation to revive and nurture traditional, indigenous pastimes. In the Official Guide of the GAA Rule 4 states as an objective:: "The Association shall actively support the Irish language, traditional Irish dancing, music, song and other aspects of Irish culture". The GAA is not, and never has been, a sectarian organisation.
As a soccer fan I, too, would love to see soccer matches at Croke Park. However, I am acutely aware that the GAA is perfectly entitled to maintain Croke Park for its own use. It is correct to say that some tax revenue was donated to the refurbishment but incorrect to state that Croke Park was "rebuilt with our tax euro". The GAA had the foresight, planning and financial acumen to put the project together and should be congratulated for doing so.
In this land of begrudgers we should not let one organisation's rules and regulations be used as an excuse by some to hide the incompetence of other sporting organisations and, of course, our Government. - Is mise le meas,
E.F. FANNING, Churchtown, Dublin 14.