An Irish "hospitality house" with late bar and Irish music set up for the duration of the Olympic Games has become a lively late-night meeting place for the Irish in Sydney. However, it has also become the subject for the latest row between the president of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI), Mr Pat Hickey, and the Minister for Sport, Dr McDaid.
In an interview published in the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday, Mr Hickey was reported to be "bitter about his Government's refusal to help with money for a hospitality house" in Sydney.
"Unless we had John Fahey, we wouldn't be standing here," Mr Hickey said, referring to Australia's federal Finance Minister, who, as honorary attache for the Irish team, organised sponsorship (mainly from Qantas and Guinness) for the hospitality house, located in the Eastern Suburbs Rugby League Club at Bondi Junction.
Asked if it requested funding for a hospitality house in Sydney, Mr Jack McGouran, the OCI spokesman, said that the council had made "a direct approach" 18 months ago seeking £30,000 but was turned down.
Mr Bart Cronin, press officer for Dr McDaid, speaking from Dublin last night, said that there was "no record of any request for funding".
There was a letter from Mr Hickey in January in which he advised Dr McDaid of Mr Fahey's efforts in getting the hospitality venue, and he extended the offer of the facility to promote tourism, Mr Cronin said. "We understood it was getting corporate support."
The Irish consul in Sydney, Mr Tom Brady, said that it was decided to set up the hospitality house from within the Irish business community. There is no precedent for Government funding for a "hospitality house" at the Olympic Games.
Dr McDaid arrives in Sydney tomorrow, accompanied by the chief executive of the Irish Sports Council, Mr John Treacy, the secretary-general of the Department, Ms Margaret Hayes, and Mr Cronin.
In May, after a disagreement, Mr Hickey said he would not invite the Minister to the Sydney Games. In August, the OCI said an invitation had been extended when Dr McDaid took office but the Department said it could not find any record of it. On September 1st, however, Mr Hickey sent a letter to Dr McDaid saying he was "very happy to note that, notwithstanding the delay", he had accepted an invitation.
When the Minister requested four accreditations from the OCI, three were offered. Dr McDaid said two officials should accompany him as well as Mr Treacy, adding: "I will pull out if I can't get this country represented by John Treacy." He said that Mr Hickey did not want himself or Mr Treacy in Sydney because there was "bad blood" between them due to arguments over funding. Mr Cronin is now travelling without Olympic accreditation.
Mr McGouran insists that Dr McDaid will get "gold-medal treatment" in Sydney and will be taken by the OCI to the Olympic Village to meet the athletes.
He said, however, that the Irish community was "very disappointed" that the Government had not funded the hospitality house. "From the Irish view it wouldn't be all that expensive, with the huge latent ethnic market in Australia."