KEVIN G.A. SMITH,
Madam, - It was with a heavy heart that I read Sorcha Murphy's excellent feature in your edition of February 5th, "Saving Sam Maguire's Homestead".
Though a native of nearby Drimoleague, I know Dunmanway very well having spent many happy days there when my grandparents were alive. Indeed, I played minor football and hurling for the historic Dohenys (not the Sam Maguires, as Sorcha Crowley terms the local GAA team).
In the late 1940s, when a schoolboy, I (and a few others) attempted to introduce rugby and soccer to Dunmanway but we were given a rough ride. Our action was not anti-GAA but rather expressed a desire for freedom to play any sports. Happily, the town now boasts clubs representing all three codes.
It is a sad day when an organisation as powerful as the GAA cannot provide support for the restoration of the home of one of the great heroes of Gaelic football.
One solution might be a fund-drive in the county that wins and possesses "Sam" each year. Armagh too were almost forgotten and maybe the ball can be got rolling there. The job could be finished by the end of the decade with FÁS work and the landowner's permission. - Yours, etc.,
KEVIN G.A. SMITH, Weston, Newbridge, Co Kildare.