Madam, - In the aftermath of the All-Ireland football final the Tyrone manager, Mickey Harte, was quoted as saying he did not wish Tyrone players to go with the International Rules squad to Australia because they would only be playing in a "hybrid" game.
Well, the All-Ireland final may have been billed as a football game but in reality what people viewed was a hybrid contest, with large spells of handball dominating over brief periods of football. I would surmise that 70 per cent of play comprised handpassing, with the ball being kicked only 30 per cent of the time. I would also wager that at least 10 players never actually put a foot to the ball.
Kicking was disdained except within 50 yards of the opponents' goal when some point kicking was essayed. In their period of warm-up Tyrone players spent all the time indulging in intricate hard-passing. Ne'er a kick of the ball.
This year's All-Ireland final may well have been an enthralling contest but to call it Gaelic football is as big a misnomer as the word "football" in American football.
Congratulations to Tyrone on a wonderful win but, for all Gaelic football traditionalists like me, a sad day indeed! - Yours, etc,
Dr DANIEL O'DONOGHUE, Blarney, Co Cork.