Sir, - In the Well & Good feature on walking (July 15th), Anne Dempsey refers to Cospoir. According to Peter Byrne's report in the sports pages of July 10th, however, Cospoir (the National Sports Council) has been extinct for the last to months. It was replaced recently by the Irish Sports Council. Let us not quibble about titles of such bodies or councils, but rather concentrate on functions.
Under the auspices of the Department of Education's sports section and Cospoir, excellent work was done on the network of long distance walking routes, the way marked paths such as the Wicklow Way. How will the new Irish Sports Council relate to that vital function?
The stated priorities of the new council, as reported by Peter Byrne on July 10th, include women in sport and a reappraisal of sport in the educational system. Having regard to the composition of the council and media obsession with competitive games, it is possible that walkers' needs will be sidelined in favour of high profile sectors and events which attract passive viewers to saturation TV coverage.
Active rambling enthusiasts are also taxpayers and expect the Sports Council, or another relevant body, to continue initiatives such as developing way marked walking routes vital for access to the Irish countryside. - Yours, etc.,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.