The enduring nature of Gaelic games is never more cogently illustrated than in Croke Park on St Patrick's Day. Time was when the Railway Cup finals in football and hurling attracted huge crowds to Croke Park for the finals of a competition based entirely on "provincial pride".

The selection of the provincial teams lured people of this column's generation to tune in, avidly, to Radio Eireann to hear who had been selected to play for their province in this remarkable competition. The Railway Cup was a creature of its own time and survived well until it became the "granny" of Gaelic games and died a natural death. It should now be given a decent burial and be accorded a decent obituary. Its demise should be recorded as "a happy release".

The All-Ireland club finals have now captured the imagination of a new and different generation and this was illustrated powerfully at Croke Park on St Patrick's Day in a strange but, nevertheless, interesting way. As the teams from the clubs arrived on the pitch there was the usual roar of approval. What struck this observer, however, was that the tone of the roar was shrill rather than throaty - soprano rather than bass. The reason was that there were enormous numbers of youngsters at the matches and that they were totally committed to their teams in a way which was inspirational. The Croke Park authorities contributed enormously to this wonderful atmosphere by charging only £5 entrance for adults and £1 for children. They also gave a generous reduction to groups, so hundreds of youngsters were charged only 50 pence. Nevertheless, the GAA reaped a rich harvest of in the region of £150,000.

The result was a really electrifying atmosphere. The official paying attendance of 36,545 showed that the heart of the GAA is beating strongly throughout the land. There have been some who would try to convince you that, because the GAA does not have an international perspective, it is doomed. Tell that to the people of Birr or Corofin! In spite of all sorts of other attractions, including the St Patrick's Day parade and the Cheltenham Festival, the bulk of 40,000 people turned up to Croke Park to see small communities from Galway, Dublin and Birr celebrate local pride.

Few clubs in the muchvaunted premier division of English soccer have that drawing power. Only Manchester United or Arsenal or Liverpool can command attendances to compare with what Sarsfields, Corofin, Birr and Erin's Isle attracted.

Even though bigger crowds are now attending domestic soccer and rugby matches here in Ireland, there is no comparison with Gaelic games as far as attendances are concerned, except for international fixtures where a big per centage of those who attend are not really genuine supporters of the games they pretend to follow. A big number are there for the corporate hospitality and the crack afterwards. Many would not be seen dead on the terraces at Dooradoyle or Lakelands Park.

Within the next few months the matches in the knockout stages of the National Leagues in football and hurling will attract big crowds. This will be followed by even bigger crowds for provincial championship matches leading up to provincial finals and then the All-Ireland series in football and hurling.

Once again the abiding and unfettered popularity of these native games will be illustrated in the most positive way possible - the presence of people who travel to the matches and pay hard-earned money at the gate and who support their counties as though their lives depended upon such support. airc Ui Chaoimh or Clones or Hyde Park.

Those who ignorantly criticised the payment of a grant totalling £20 million to the GAA should examine their consciences on this matter. If it were not for organisations like the GAA thousands of young people would be deprived of the facilities and the back-up organisation which the GAA and other sporting bodies provide. The events at Croke Park on St Patrick's Day were uplifting and inspirational. Let those who know the price of everything and the value of nothing be wary of their begrudgery. The enormous building programme now under way at Croke Park is indicative of the commitment of the Gaelic Athletic Association to its own future and the future of all of us on this island. That commitment can be a very valuable contribution to the endangered peace process.

The GAA can, and I am confident that it will, grab the moment when the moment arises and that when the work is completed in Jones's Road the hand of friendship and solidarity will be offered to the Irish Rugby Football Union - an all-Ireland body - and to other sporting bodies.

Roll on the new millennium!