This week, it's hard to open a paper, turn on the telly or tune into the radio without coming across some discussion of this Saturday's big match in Croker. As in the run up to the French match, little of the talk centred around the game itself. This week the emphasis has unsurprisingly concentrated on the perceived political and social issues surrounding the arrival of the English rugby team and its low-swinging chariot to Croker. You'd almost forget that there is a match to be played at this stage.

The arrival of an English team to this hallowed ground and especially the airing of God Save the Queen is a sensitive issue for many in the GAA community, especially relatives of those killed on Bloody Sunday. However the politicisation of the match by A) The British Government's misconceived plans to lay a wreath and B) Republican Sinn Fein's utterly ignorant attempt to hold a protest prior to the game irks me greatly. Both seem to me to be nothing more than political opportunism and completely at odds with the gesture the GAA has made in opening up Croke Park to soccer and rugby.

If the British were sincere about some form of reconciliation in regard to the events of November 21st 1920, they should issue a sincere and genuine apology rather than laying a wreath at a non GAA fixture. If Republican Sinn Fein have any aspirations to be taken seriously in the country perhaps they should help in the promotion of football and hurling in the working class areas of Dublin and Belfast where they are based rather that recruiting hooligans in Celtic jerseys.

This is not an attempt to play down the significance of the occasion but it must be remembered this is a sporting event. The GAA has repeatedly stated its belief that "a sports fixture is not the appropriate time to come to terms with something that, although it took place during a match, has long ago grown into a broader political concern". They have also shown themselves to be open-minded and fair and it's about time other interested parties started behaving similarly. So let everyone sit back, mute the telly if you can't stand God Save The Queen that much, enjoy the occasion and here's hoping we send the old enemy home to Sasanach battered and bruised and well and truly out of contention for this years 6 Nations. After all, unlike 1920 that's the only reason they've been let in to this wonderful sporting arena.

Finally, I have two spare tickets for anyone who is interested!

tags:Croke Park

Published by PMC.