A chara, - In his recent article on the Diageo sponsorship of sport (The Irish Times, September 8th) Barry McCall airs the view that the increased popularity of hurling during the years 1995-1999 was due mainly to Guinness's sponsorship.
However, the well known historian Marcus de Burca, in his definitive work The GAA, A History, writing about the same period (page 223) states that "three factors - the new format, the increased number of games associated with it and the live televising of more major hurling games - have all resulted in a surge of popularity of the national game".
One can only conclude from this that the importance of the Guinness sponsorship to hurling is a media myth which was created, and is being perpetuated, by the very effective Guinness public relations department.
It is very difficult to understand the defensive attitude of GAA president Seán Kelly to the sponsorship and his over-sensitive reaction to any criticism of it. This attitude ignores completely the fact that the fundamental issue here is that the game of hurling is used to glamorise and successfully promote the increased sales and consumption of alcohol, particularly among young people. An inane comment that "young people do not drink Guinness" does not change this reality.
I hope that no one, either in the GAA, the media or among the general public would still say that the sponsorship is purely philanthropic.
The following pertinent observations do not need any elaboration. In an article in the Sunday Times (March 9th, 2003) by Michael Foley, Donal McAnallen of Eglish GAA Club in Co Tyrone is reported as saying: "When you quote money as a primary motive, it does contradict the amateur ethos. If you're saying the reason you can't change policy is because of that, you're putting money ahead of social responsibility. There's a double standard there."
Seán Moran, GAA Correspondent of The Irish Times, concluded an article headed "Time for the GAA to go on the wagon" (May 19th, 2004) as follows: "Banning alcohol-related sports sponsorships isn't going to eliminate the problems caused by binge drinking but it's an obvious place to start". - Is mise,
DONAL CURTIN, Mayorstone Drive, Limerick.