15 April 1999 Edition
Sportsview
By Dan O'Neill
Until we have a policing service which is impartial and representative of all sections of the community and until the harassment of GAA members by the crown forces ends, Rule 21 must stay
I must say that I have been dismayed at the calls from sections of the media for the GAA to give up Rule 21 in light of the British government's decision to close that part of the joint RUC/British Army base that is built on Crossmaglen GAC grounds.
Not surprisingly, unionist politicians have been quick to jump on board.
As Crossmaglen officials have maintained time and time again, their particular situation had nothing to do with Rule 21 and was instead a simple matter of a wrong having been done to them for which they were seeking redress.
The GAA, by keeping the rule, have been accused of failing ``the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement'', and no doubt with the GAA Congress taking place this week there will be further calls for the rule to be changed to contribute to the peace process.
At Congress last year the Special GAA Conference on Rule 21 agreed that the rule would not be changed until such times as ``effective steps are taken to implement the amended structures and policing arrangements envisaged in the British-Irish agreement''.
This has clearly not happened yet, and until we have a policing service which is impartial and representative of all sections of the community, and until the harassment of GAA members by the crown forces ends, Rule 21 must stay. It must also be borne in mind that the occupation of Crossmaglen grounds has not halted yet and no date has been given for an evacuation.
As for this week's action on the playing field ,there was plenty to talk about.
There were some surprising outcomes in this week's National Football League Quarter-Final games - not really in terms of winners but in the margins of their victories.
Cork had an easy win over a lacklustre Derry in the curtain raiser at Croke Park. The Leesiders effectively assured their progress by half-time thanks to three goals in a four-minute spell. The excellent Mark O'Sullivan (one to watch out for in this year's championship) scored two of these to set up a 3-14 to 1-6 victory over the Oak Leaf County.
Dublin also had a comfortable passage to the semis in the second game at GAA headquarters with a six-point win over Kildare. Two late goals from Kildare only put a respectable gloss on the score line. OK, it wasn't the championship but it will not stop the Dubs claiming sweet revenge for last year's championship defeat to the Lilywhites.
In the other games, Armagh had just one point to spare over Sligo at Longford while the foundation of Meath's 0-14 to 0-10 win over Kerry at Limerick were laid by a strong first half performance. Armagh will now play Dublin and Meath will meet Cork in the semi-finals.
As for the sides who were knocked out, I don't think they should get too disheartened. Any team getting to this stage of the National League is always in two minds whether to have a real cut at it or hold back and concentrate on the championship. If you keep winning, good. If you keep training, good. The danger is in falling between the two. Moreover, the further you go in the league, the harder it is to concentrate on the championship. Rather than being a blessing, it could become a distraction.
In the National Hurling League, Offaly produced a controlled performance as they had five points to spare over Dublin. Tipperary edged closer to a place in the knock-out stages with an emphatic win over Laois. Galway, unbeaten in the league, were never in danger of ending their good run at Loughgiel as they beat Antrim, while Limerick, despite another poor performance, still managed to overcome Kerry's challenge. In the day's most entertaining game, Kilkenny came through a tough encounter at a packed Nolan Park to defeat rivals Wexford. And what about poor Down! They slumped to another heavy defeat, this time at the hands of Cork who ran out 27-point winners in the end.
Down were a team in turmoil leading up to this game, losing a host of players in controversial circumstances. Talented hurler Noel Sands was dropped from the team, after which his club colleagues Gerry McGratten, Steve Murray and Martin Mallon announced their withdrawal from the squad. To compound their problems, two more players opted out of the squad last week after derogatory remarks were allegedly made at a team meeting.
The Ards men appear to be falling on their own swords and Frank Dawson's position as manager may be untenable after these latest developments Down play Laois this Sunday. Although Laois have also lost heavily in recent weeks, they are expected to compound the problems for the Down boss.
In the other games, I would expect Clare to beat Dublin (third time a charm? - Ed.) and Galway to win at home to Limerick. All-Ireland champions Offaly will fancy their chances against Kerry. The days big games will be Tipperary v Waterford and Wexford v Cork. I'll go for two home wins here.
Turning to soccer, Celtic eased into a Scottish Cup Final showdown with Old Firm rivals Rangers after a comprehensive win over Dundee United on Saturday.
I was at the game and it was a big disappointment. Don't get me wrong. I was delighted to see the Bhoys go through, but I was dismayed at the lack of challenge from the Dundee side. Celtic didn't really have to shift out of third gear all afternoon. Regi Blinker had a great game and capped it off with a super goal in the first half. Hopefully, he has laid the ghost of Paulo Di Canio.
There were further injury worries though for Celtic as French defender Stephan Mahe limped off with a recurrence of a hamstring injury and Mark Viduka, who scored Celtic's second goal, stayed indoors after half-time suffering breathing difficulties, apparently due to the effects of flu. Maybe Blinkers performance took his breath away!
And what about Man United's performance in the Juventus game last week?
``What's it like to be outclassed?'' is one of their fans' favourite taunts, regularly thrown in the direction of opposing fans.
If they were never sure what the experience felt like themselves, Juventus gave them an unwelcome lesson on the subject in much of last Wednesday night's game at Old Trafford. Maybe the standard of the English Premiership isn't quite as good as Sky Sports and much of the British media would have us believe. The 1-1 draw will give the Italian side the advantage going into the second-leg showdown in Turin next Wednesday.
The Irish under-21 side bounced back from their opening game defeat at the World Youth Championships in Nigeria with victories over Saudi Arabia (2-0) and Australia (4-0). This guaranteed Kerr's wonder kids a place in the knock-out stages where they will play the host nation on Wednesday, 14 April.
Ireland will be hoping to create even more chaos for an out-of-sorts Nigerian team who only scraped through in second place in their group and were jeered by an incredibly hostile support when they flew out to Kano at the weekend for the Irish game.They have also fired their coach, Disu, twice this week. Hopefully the Irish side can take advantage of the turmoil in the African side's camp.
Kerr's squad will be sad to leave their base in Ibadan. Throughout their group games, the Irish were enthusiastically supported by hundreds of Irish missionaries based in the area.
Apparently one of those missionaries, a young priest (nicknamed `Father Mad') from the Six Counties, joined the Irish squad at their team hotel after the Saudi match singing rebel songs into the early hours of the morning. Fair play to him!
Until we have a policing service which is impartial and representative of all sections of the community and until the harassment of GAA members by the crown forces ends, Rule 21 must stay
I must say that I have been dismayed at the calls from sections of the media for the GAA to give up Rule 21 in light of the British government's decision to close that part of the joint RUC/British Army base that is built on Crossmaglen GAC grounds.
Not surprisingly, unionist politicians have been quick to jump on board.
As Crossmaglen officials have maintained time and time again, their particular situation had nothing to do with Rule 21 and was instead a simple matter of a wrong having been done to them for which they were seeking redress.
The GAA, by keeping the rule, have been accused of failing ``the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement'', and no doubt with the GAA Congress taking place this week there will be further calls for the rule to be changed to contribute to the peace process.
At Congress last year the Special GAA Conference on Rule 21 agreed that the rule would not be changed until such times as ``effective steps are taken to implement the amended structures and policing arrangements envisaged in the British-Irish agreement''.
This has clearly not happened yet, and until we have a policing service which is impartial and representative of all sections of the community, and until the harassment of GAA members by the crown forces ends, Rule 21 must stay. It must also be borne in mind that the occupation of Crossmaglen grounds has not halted yet and no date has been given for an evacuation.
As for this week's action on the playing field ,there was plenty to talk about.
There were some surprising outcomes in this week's National Football League Quarter-Final games - not really in terms of winners but in the margins of their victories.
Cork had an easy win over a lacklustre Derry in the curtain raiser at Croke Park. The Leesiders effectively assured their progress by half-time thanks to three goals in a four-minute spell. The excellent Mark O'Sullivan (one to watch out for in this year's championship) scored two of these to set up a 3-14 to 1-6 victory over the Oak Leaf County.
Dublin also had a comfortable passage to the semis in the second game at GAA headquarters with a six-point win over Kildare. Two late goals from Kildare only put a respectable gloss on the score line. OK, it wasn't the championship but it will not stop the Dubs claiming sweet revenge for last year's championship defeat to the Lilywhites.
In the other games, Armagh had just one point to spare over Sligo at Longford while the foundation of Meath's 0-14 to 0-10 win over Kerry at Limerick were laid by a strong first half performance. Armagh will now play Dublin and Meath will meet Cork in the semi-finals.
As for the sides who were knocked out, I don't think they should get too disheartened. Any team getting to this stage of the National League is always in two minds whether to have a real cut at it or hold back and concentrate on the championship. If you keep winning, good. If you keep training, good. The danger is in falling between the two. Moreover, the further you go in the league, the harder it is to concentrate on the championship. Rather than being a blessing, it could become a distraction.
In the National Hurling League, Offaly produced a controlled performance as they had five points to spare over Dublin. Tipperary edged closer to a place in the knock-out stages with an emphatic win over Laois. Galway, unbeaten in the league, were never in danger of ending their good run at Loughgiel as they beat Antrim, while Limerick, despite another poor performance, still managed to overcome Kerry's challenge. In the day's most entertaining game, Kilkenny came through a tough encounter at a packed Nolan Park to defeat rivals Wexford. And what about poor Down! They slumped to another heavy defeat, this time at the hands of Cork who ran out 27-point winners in the end.
Down were a team in turmoil leading up to this game, losing a host of players in controversial circumstances. Talented hurler Noel Sands was dropped from the team, after which his club colleagues Gerry McGratten, Steve Murray and Martin Mallon announced their withdrawal from the squad. To compound their problems, two more players opted out of the squad last week after derogatory remarks were allegedly made at a team meeting.
The Ards men appear to be falling on their own swords and Frank Dawson's position as manager may be untenable after these latest developments Down play Laois this Sunday. Although Laois have also lost heavily in recent weeks, they are expected to compound the problems for the Down boss.
In the other games, I would expect Clare to beat Dublin (third time a charm? - Ed.) and Galway to win at home to Limerick. All-Ireland champions Offaly will fancy their chances against Kerry. The days big games will be Tipperary v Waterford and Wexford v Cork. I'll go for two home wins here.
Turning to soccer, Celtic eased into a Scottish Cup Final showdown with Old Firm rivals Rangers after a comprehensive win over Dundee United on Saturday.
I was at the game and it was a big disappointment. Don't get me wrong. I was delighted to see the Bhoys go through, but I was dismayed at the lack of challenge from the Dundee side. Celtic didn't really have to shift out of third gear all afternoon. Regi Blinker had a great game and capped it off with a super goal in the first half. Hopefully, he has laid the ghost of Paulo Di Canio.
There were further injury worries though for Celtic as French defender Stephan Mahe limped off with a recurrence of a hamstring injury and Mark Viduka, who scored Celtic's second goal, stayed indoors after half-time suffering breathing difficulties, apparently due to the effects of flu. Maybe Blinkers performance took his breath away!
And what about Man United's performance in the Juventus game last week?
``What's it like to be outclassed?'' is one of their fans' favourite taunts, regularly thrown in the direction of opposing fans.
If they were never sure what the experience felt like themselves, Juventus gave them an unwelcome lesson on the subject in much of last Wednesday night's game at Old Trafford. Maybe the standard of the English Premiership isn't quite as good as Sky Sports and much of the British media would have us believe. The 1-1 draw will give the Italian side the advantage going into the second-leg showdown in Turin next Wednesday.
The Irish under-21 side bounced back from their opening game defeat at the World Youth Championships in Nigeria with victories over Saudi Arabia (2-0) and Australia (4-0). This guaranteed Kerr's wonder kids a place in the knock-out stages where they will play the host nation on Wednesday, 14 April.
Ireland will be hoping to create even more chaos for an out-of-sorts Nigerian team who only scraped through in second place in their group and were jeered by an incredibly hostile support when they flew out to Kano at the weekend for the Irish game.They have also fired their coach, Disu, twice this week. Hopefully the Irish side can take advantage of the turmoil in the African side's camp.
Kerr's squad will be sad to leave their base in Ibadan. Throughout their group games, the Irish were enthusiastically supported by hundreds of Irish missionaries based in the area.
Apparently one of those missionaries, a young priest (nicknamed `Father Mad') from the Six Counties, joined the Irish squad at their team hotel after the Saudi match singing rebel songs into the early hours of the morning. Fair play to him!