Madam, - The GAA Strategic Vision and Action Plan 2009-2015 contains many commendable aims for the organisation's future in a changing Ireland.
Its "Inclusion and Integration" strategy is aimed at non-traditional GAA communities, such as urban areas and immigrants. This strategy also includes "engagement with the Unionist Community" in Northern Ireland, the largest non-traditional GAA community of all.
Engagement with unionists, however visionary, faces a particular barrier.
At championship games, held within Northern Ireland and between Northern Ireland county teams, the national flag flown and anthem played are from another jurisdiction (the Republic of Ireland).
This is an overt snub to the majority (unionist) population: they would feel that they are not welcome and that the "parity of esteem" principle does not apply.
Such political/cultural exclusiveness in the GAA was a contributory factor in the recent case of the young Fermanagh Protestant who was subjected to sectarian abuse when he started playing for a local GAA club. - Yours, etc,
CON O'ROURKE,
Park Lane,
Sandymount,
Dublin 4.