Letters: A modest proposal to end GAA paywalls and the fixture fiasco

The discontent, if not fury, of the GAA public centres on two major issues.

One is the confinement of major games behind the GAAGO paywall, like some shameful family secret.

The other is the mad scramble to just get all these annoying games over with in blitz fashion, with teams hardly having time to shower before togging out again.

To avoid similar unpleasantness next season, I propose a Swiftian (Jonathan, not Taylor) Modest Proposal.

First: nobody, but nobody, should subscribe to any paywall. Without the income, this ethically dubious monopoly created by RTÉ and Croke Park would collapse under its own irrelevance.

Second: the mad rush to just get games over could be ­replaced by a lottery.

The All-Ireland hurling and football champions for 2025 could be drawn from a hat, live on RTÉ radio, at 6.30am on the morning of January 2 next.

Kerry will almost certainly get the football, with or without the influence of the Healy-Raes, but imagine the joy when Leitrim become the hurling champs.

Then RTÉ can have the rest of the year for wall-to-wall rugby coverage.

While I make this proposal in a spirit of public service, a small stipend would not be unappreciated. It might be called GAAGone.

Donal Murphy, Carrigrohane, Co Cork

Joe Biden is still well able to rise from the canvas

Sir — I disagree with your ­editorial (June 30) that Joe Biden should bow out of the US presidential race in favour of a younger candidate.

If President Biden were to now relinquish the title commander-in-chief he would be gifting the presidency to a twice-impeached, four-times-indicted, convicted felon.

Readers may remember Barack Obama’s poor debate against Mitt Romney just a month out from the 2012 election — the 44th US president said as much after Biden’s low-energy CNN debate.

No vote has been cast yet in what was always going to be a very tight contest and one can argue why Donald Trump is not way out front in the polls and pulling in more money — rather than some big-ticket amounts from wealthy donors.

People in this country routinely criticise Biden over Israel, forgetting he would lose far more votes domestically if he abandoned the Jewish state.

The US economy is powering ahead and unemployment is at an all-time low. Listening to Biden the day after the debate at a campaign event at Raleigh in North Carolina, one sees and hears a totally different person. It would be foolish to bet against him after his feisty, Rocky-like, comeback speech.

Tom McElligott, Listowel, Co Kerry

The US is no country for old men to lead

Sir — Watching the recent presidential debate was cringeworthy to say the least. We saw two elderly men throwing insults at each other, and challenging their opponent to a game of golf.

The failure of Democrats and Republicans to look themselves honestly in the mirror will go down as one of the great miscalculations in US, if not world, history.

The US needs a strong, youthful leader to give hope to the rest of the free world. Former president Harry Truman once described good leadership, saying: “A leader has two very important characteristics. First he is going somewhere. Second, he has the ability to persuade others to go with him.”

The US is no country for old men.

Tom Towey, Cloonacool, Co Sligo

Donald Trump too strong for current contender

Sir — It’s time for Joe Biden to take stock and come to the only credible decision: to stand aside or down. He alone needs to make that decision, not the Democratic party. It has lost that right by not providing or encouraging an alternative candidate.

The Democrats have been so preoccupied with Trump that they have taken their eye off the health and mental capacity of their commander-in-chief.

Trump should be a busted docket but as things stand, with warts and all, he will be a better alternative to the Biden-­Harris ticket, because the American people will vote for strength over weakness and strength over ­decency.

Aidan Roddy, Cabinteely, Dublin 18

Keir Starmer ready to put Tory ordeal to bed

Sir — People will breathe again with the hope and understanding that Keir Starmer and his large majority will give the UK the change it so urgently and fundamentally needs.

Scandal after scandal, lie after lie, short-lived careers by PMs that failed to deliver. Whether it was negotiating with the EU, the Rwanda policy, Covid parties in Downing Street or failed budgets, the voters were forced to finally wake up and say enough to this ongoing mayhem.

We will see, hopefully, seismic changes to the policies introduced by the Conservatives who laid waste to the UK’s economic and foreign policies.

Christy Galligan, Letterkenny, Co Donegal

UK electorate could benefit from Irish-style proportional representation

Sir — David Lloyd George (British prime minister 1916-1922) maintained that proportional representation (PR) was a device for defeating democracy and for bringing “faddists” of all kinds into parliament.

This point of view is hardly rational or sustainable in a general election where Labour’s less than 2pc increase in its vote since 2019 translated to a seat gain in excess of 100pc; while the Lib Dems, with a less than 1pc rise in votes had its seats multiplied eightfold.

Despite the vicissitudes of the Irish PR system, we should be thankful it provides for a far better reflection of the views and wishes of the electorate.

Michael Gannon, Saint Thomas Square, Co Kilkenny

Natasha O’Brien has touched a raw nerve

Sir — I have, like many others, followed closely the abuse handed down to Natasha O’Brien, firstly by her assailant and later by the sentence handed down upon his conviction. She reminds me of the courage of another remarkable woman who was violently abused and failed by people she might have regarded as those she could trust: I refer to Máiría Cahill.

Both have demonstrated a ­refusal to accept their treatment and go quietly into the sunset.

Clearly Natasha O’Brien has touched a very raw nerve, judging by the reaction nationally.

If I may, I would venture to suggest one further step. There is a general election pending and she might consider running for election, purely on the issue of violence against women and the need for a minimum mandatory prison sentence upon conviction. I have no doubt she would top the poll.

Seamus Ó Ciarain, An Mullach, Co Cavan

Social Democrats pair did the State a great service

Sir — I was so sorry to learn that both Social Democrats co-founders Catherine Murphy and Róisín Shortall will not be standing in the next election.

I will always remember ­Catherine Murphy in 2016 being an unlikely nemesis for Denis O’Brien on the issue of free speech. One recalls the government sitting like frightened mice as she took on one of the most powerful men in Ireland. I wish to commend both politicians for their public service.

John O’Brien, Clonmel, Co Tipperary

Joe Brolly sings the Blues as prediction flops

Sir — The headline on Joe Brolly’s column on Sunday, March 24, was “The race is on for second place”. Dublin were certainties for another All-Ireland, he wrote. He was proved wrong last Saturday — but did not acknowledge that. I’m an avid Sunday Independent reader, but it’s wrong to make ridiculous statements so early in the season.

David McGrath, Blarney Road, Cork

Culture of arrogance at the University of Limerick hard to stomach

Sir — I’m grateful for your continual highlighting of the profligate culture at the University of Limerick (UL) but also weary, as you must be, of its neverending display of egotistical arrogance. One must ask: How many presidents does it take to fix a culture?

During the tenure of four presidents, over the past 15 years or more, this author and others have written reams exploring UL’s highly questionable HR, finance and governance practices.

That culture has, over time, negatively affected the lives and livelihoods of numerous loyal individuals who were treated as disposable, yet Kerstin Mey steps down as president and is awarded a professorship.

I repeat: How many presidents does it take to fix a culture?

Ellen Ní hEilithe, Charleville, Co Cork

Abortion data from the HSE is startling

Sir — The HSE has reported there were 10,033 abortions in Ireland last year, equivalent to the entire population of Skerries, Co Dublin. Abortion may be safe and legal, but it is certainly not rare any more.

P J Mathews, Drogheda, Co Louth

Concerns on trans issue must be heard

Sir — The article by Dónal Lynch (‘Rainbow symbol not enough as trans people still chase inclusion’, June 30) claims that women like me who believe biological sex is real and matters are spouting “spurious concerns about the safety of minors, social contagion, issues in sport, concerns of safety in toilets and changing rooms”.

How very easy it is for Dónal, a man, to vilify us and call us ­“phobic”. He omits the many cases in sport of hard-working women competing in the female category missing out on opportunities, prizes and money to men who claim to be women.

He ignores the plight of female prisoners, some of the most vulnerable women in our society, who are housed in Limerick prison with violent male sex offenders who claim to be women.

He ignores women’s rights and our need for single-sex spaces.

It seems he needs to see a high number of assaults by males in toilets and changing rooms rather than respect the fact that the mere sound of a man’s voice as he undresses in such a space would be distressing for many of us, especially survivors of ­assault.

And as for children, he would do well to read the Cass report. How he turns a blind eye to the disproportionate number of young autistic women removing their breasts, claiming to be men, is beyond me.

Sarah Holmes, Newcastle, Co Wicklow

Irish weather defies world’s top scientists

Sir — Last week we read in the papers that scientists are warning of a rapid increase in the likelihood of Ireland experiencing extreme summer heat conditions. Then, on the same page, there was a story about Met Éireann reporting the coldest June since 2015.

Last month scientists reported Ireland had the hottest May on record, even though people were complaining about having to keep their heating on all month. Years ago, when we were having similarly bad summers, we would have a weather expert from somewhere like Donegal predicting a heatwave, an Indian summer.

Nobody is denying ­global warming but perhaps these scientists should talk with Met Éireann when it comes to Irish weather.

Brian Lube, Co Meath

Green lobby heating up as we endure cold

Sir — Has RTÉ completely lost the plot or is it being lobbied by the Greens to broadcast the most alarming news about weather and climate?

On Tuesday evening for the lead item on the Six One News, RTÉ wheeled out Professor ­Andrew Parnell from Maynooth University to warn us we are 20 times more likely to experience a heatwave than we were 80 years ago. He was of course backed up by the monotoned George Lee to add as much depression as possible. George referenced the level of heat two years ago which, if memory serves me right, lasted 24 hours.

People I know have this week restarted their central heating and some are even taking hot water bottles to bed, while suffering through this Irish “summer”.

Brendan Hogan, Kilmore, Co Wexford

No case for defence in dire GAA displays

Sir — Last Sunday, along with 47,000 other Gaelic football fans, I attended the Kerry v Derry All-Ireland quarter-final at Croke Park. It was a truly appalling spectacle from start to finish and not worth the €45.

Both teams employed the mass defence strategy that has plagued our game for far too long. At times all 30 players (including goalkeepers) were located in one half of the pitch. This created total congestion with the “attacking” team forced into endless lateral and backward passing movements that frustrated the majority of Gaelic football supporters.

The mass defence system was originally adopted by the top inter-county GAA coaches in order to achieve success with a “win at any cost” mentality. Now, all Gaelic football teams have been forced to follow suit. It has destroyed the game as a spectacle.

The former Dublin coach Jim Gavin has been given the task of reviewing the rules of Gaelic football. He and his ­committee can suggest a dozen or more changes, but unless those changes eliminate or diminish the value of the mass defence strategy, Gaelic football is on its way to becoming a minority sport in this country.

Pat O’Connor, Banteer, Co Cork

Tommie Gorman struck a chord in phone call

Sir — Those were two great front-page tributes by Brendan O’Connor last week to two absolutely special gentlemen, Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh and Tommie Gorman.

In 2014 I received a surprise phone call from one of the masters, Tommie. He had spotted one of my letters in the Irish Independent in which I wrote: “Watching the All-­Ireland School Choir Competition in the last few Sunday evenings on RTÉ has been an absolute joy.”

Tommie was involved in the production of the programme and took the trouble to ring and thank me. May he rest in peace.

Brian McDevitt, Glenties, Co Donegal

Public ignored in RTÉ consultation

Sir — Over the last year there have been endless revelations about the culture and governance at RTÉ. Out of the ashes, a 10-point plan has been published by RTÉ, which outlines its future direction as a public broadcasting organisation. The New Direction envisages a smaller, leaner organisation, with an emphasis on commissioning programmes from the private sector.

The strategy statement by RTÉ views public broadcasting as an “independent source of stories, news, information and entertainment”. Kevin Bakhurst proclaimed that the document reflects “our core public service mission and beliefs”. The suspicion of the NUJ is that the plan reflects the Government’s desire to cut costs and outsource work to the private sector. The carrot being financial support.

The consultation process has been basically top-down. In short, the input from the public has been very limited. The 10 “tablets of stone” have been presented by RTÉ like a covenant. There is a clear democratic deficit. The public has not been asked if they want a specific public broadcaster, about the nature of public broadcasting, the funding model or how much they are willing to pay.

The Government’s focus has been on the governance and financial future of RTÉ. How it will be funded long term is on the back-burner. More money will be needed from state coffers for investment in infrastructure, such as ageing studios and new digital technology. This will inevitably be funded by the public. Shouldn’t we have real choices and consultation about the nature of our public broadcasting?

Andy Hales, Kenmare, Co Kerry