Sir, – Your newspaper (April 17th) quotes the president of the GAA, Páiric Duffy, taking issue with the recent ESRI report Keeping Them in the Game . Mr Duffy says that " ... the point I would have with the ESRI report is that drop-off affects all sports if they are honest".
Part of being honest is stating truths that people may not want to hear. The ESRI report was based on three nationally representative data-sets, one of which sampled over 26,000 people aged 16 and over. The report shows that drop-out affects all sports. It also shows that the rate of drop-out from Gaelic football and hurling is particularly high compared to other sports. Indeed, the data reveal that among young adults the drop-out rate from Gaelic games is more than twice the equivalent rates for soccer and rugby. The report offers a constructive analysis of possible reasons for the GAA’s higher drop-out rate.
The ESRI’s research in this area is funded by the Irish Sports Council and aims to provide evidence on which to base policy to increase participation in regular sport and exercise. We strive to treat all sports equally. Several sporting governing bodies are engaging constructively with the findings and are using them to try to improve their level of participation. Others might benefit from doing the same. Yours, etc,
DR PETE LUNN,
ESRI,
Whitaker Square,
Sir John Rogerson’s Quay,
Dublin 2,