GAELIC GAMES/Alcohol and substance abuse initiative: It was hardly surprising current alcohol sponsorship of the GAA became an issue at the launch of the association's alcohol and substance abuse initiative at Croke Park yesterday.

As Guinness have another year to run on their sponsorship of the All-Ireland hurling championship, GAA president Seán Kelly would not be drawn on whether such a deal would be renewed.

"We will argue the reasoning there in time but not at this stage as it would undermine the existing sponsorship," said Kelly.

However, the alcohol and substance abuse task force, chaired by former All-Ireland winning Galway captain Joe Connolly, last year called for the limiting of (alcohol) sponsorship to two years, control of advertising and branding, and "ultimately to phase out this form of sponsorship".

Kelly, in defence of Guinness, who have invested over €25 million over an 11-year relationship, pointed to the use of Diageo Ireland's "drink sensibly" campaign on their posters and in other advertising. "When the time is right we will sit down and review it, see what the feeling is on the ground. By incorporating the Diageo logo they are taking a different approach to other companies, which must be recognised. We did mention phasing out the sponsorship, which is also fair enough."

Brendan Murphy, who has been appointed as national co-ordinator of the joint GAA/Department of Health initiative, is sure the current sponsorship and recently-opened extra bars in Croke Park will be thrown in his face.

"I'm aware of that and I'm expecting to actually hear a lot of that. Part of my job too, is to act as a conduit and bring that back to Croke Park, to GAA headquarters, and say 'look, this is an issue, this is what's going on on the ground'. That will be part of the two-way feedback that can take part over the life of the whole initiative."

Murphy, who arrives from the Western Area Drugs Service, is realistic of the mammoth challenge ahead over the next three years. He officially takes up his position on November 1st with the first exposure to club delegates coming at a national club congress in Killarney on November 12th.

"I'm on my own at the top of this but I'm hoping to have a giant amount of support from the ground up behind me. It (alcohol abuse) is a terrible Irish problem and the GAA are in a bind but it is a three-year initiative. Sure, when the current sponsorship is coming to an end it will be looked at closely. There will be a lot of vested interests so it needs to be worked out gently so as not to offend anyone.

"We actually need to look at all factors. Such as filling the cup with drink, bringing junior teams back to pubs on the way home from matches, (and) all the sponsorship arrangements.

"All of that is up for renegotiation and discussion over the course of this whole initiative because we are talking about changing a whole culture here, not just rolling out one or two media campaigns. It's about actually moving a culture which can only be done very slowly."

Murphy envisages having an alcohol and substance abuse officer in every county by the end of 2007 and introducing the actual initiatives by his final year.

"The GAA has been a mirror for what's going on in Ireland. It's so reflective of what's happening in every town in the country that if you think of it, we are dealing with Ireland when we are dealing with the GAA. It's very much what attracted me to the position. Let's actually face up to what's happening nationally. Not just in the GAA."