Sir, – In reference to the GAA-Sky TV deal you report that "Fianna Fáil has great reservations about the deal, given the voluntary nature of the GAA," (News, October 27th).
But as an Irish expat who has just left Ireland again after spending the summer there, I believe that professionalising the GAA may have some important benefits. I watched many of the games this summer.
Coming from a multicultural city like Hong Kong, I was surprised to see no non-white Irish player or non Irish-born player take the field in any of the games.
Making the GAA professional might persuade Aussie Rules players or even athletes at home or abroad, not usually interested in GAA, to take part.
To see a multi-ethnic or multicultural team take to the field – as we do every week with England’s national sport – would surely send out a strong message to all of Ireland’s youth, no matter what their ethnicity, that Ireland is truly embracing of its present multicultural population.
– Yours, etc,
MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN,
Sai Kung,
Hong Kong.