Madam, – I sincerely hope that the Late Late Show's tribute last Friday to 125 years of the GAA is not a reflection of the forthcoming RTÉ series commemorating the anniversary. Firstly, on what basis were Bertie Ahern and Eamon Dunphy the principal guests? Surely it would have been more appropriate to have the current GAA president or the current or former ard striuratheoir open the show.
Secondly, no recognition at all was given to the enormous contribution of women to the association apart from a brief conversation with Deirdre Shefflin, who just happened to be sitting beside her husband Henry and also happened to have played camogie. Thirdly, the mimic “comedian” clearly was not vetted beforehand. He was not funny and he was downright offensive to the current Taoiseach, a true GAA supporter who did not deserve to be treated in such an insulting manner.
Finally one can only assume Des Cahill was sent on at the end to rescue Pat Kenny and a show that was dying on its feet. He duly did his best by pointing out some prominent GAA people in the audience whom Pat Kenny clearly did not recognise. This was a shambles of a “celebration”, an embarrassment to RTÉ and Pat Kenny and an insult to the GAA at large. – Yours, etc,
GERRY McENTEE,
Eccles Street,
Dublin 7.