Ban on drinks ads not the sole solution

The GAA would be willing to consider a ban on alcoholic drinks sponsorship, but it would be wrong to suggest it would help sort the country's drink problem, according to president-elect Seán Kelly.

"It has become more and more an issue in recent times," Kelly said on Radio Kerry yesterday. "But I think like many things the focus is on the wrong event, because some people claim that if Guinness stopped sponsoring the All-Ireland hurling championship our drink problem would be sorted. I think it would make very little difference, because there is unfortunately a growing tendency in this country to glamorise drink, and to have young people drinking as was shown in the recent Prime Time programme on RTÉ.

"People were shocked at the amount of alcohol being consumed by young people and its ease of accessibility. I think that is the first thing to be looked at, the opening hours, and an educational programme needs to be put in place, as things are really getting out of hand."

Several county chairman had highlighted the possibility of imposing a ban on alcoholic drinks' sponsorship during annual conventions before Christmas, but Kelly argued the GAA has become an easy target.

"It is too easy to say that the GAA should not have drinks sponsorship, as there are drinks sponsorship in every sport one could name. It's a global thing and must be tackled on that basis.

"It may well be the right thing for the GAA to do and I would certainly have no difficulty with that. But I do have difficulty with people placing all the ills of the country on the GAA and saying that if Guinness withdrew its sponsorship, then all our problems would be solved. I wish it was that easy, but it is far more complex than that."

Kelly also admitted the recent strike by the Cork senior panels took him by surprise. "It was very unfortunate," he said, "particularly for a great county like Cork. In any family there are going to be disputes, some come into the open and some do not.

"Fortunately they sat down around the table and resolved it and they emerge stronger and more united than ever as a result of the fall-out. Yes, the GAA may well have neglected players' needs in the past, but that has changed now I think. There is now a compulsion on every county board to establish a players' committee for intercounty players, to have a liaison officer and discuss matters with them, and to keep them briefed, and I think that is only fair.

"There were occasions in the past when players were treated diabolically, when they did not get the respect that they deserved. But I am sure that will not happen anymore because the mechanisms are in place to ensure that the players get their tickets, their expenses within a reasonable time, and so forth."