In the twilight of the year strange goings-on have been noted. It's most unusual for the GAA to prosper in public relations conflict. It has been pointed out here that for whatever reason, the association, no matter how plausible its side of the argument, has a tendency to end up like the coyote in Roadrunner - clutching a stick of dynamite with the fuse burning down.

As with Wile E Coyote, this is sometimes a misfortune the GAA helps to bring on itself, but one that also owes something to caprice - like for instance its place in the frame just because a bid to host the European soccer championship was at best half-baked.

So imagine our surprise when, despite all the ominous portents, the GAA recently emerged from the Stadium Ireland debacle unscathed - in defiance of its own gloomiest expectations.

The immensely successful opening of the newly developed Croke Park helped in that process. Maybe the GAA gets too self-congratulatory about these things - after all something had to be done with the ground 10 years ago because it was falling to pieces - but even the most curmudgeonly view would have to recognise what went into creating the venue as it now is.

It is the first major sports venue in Ireland to retain an architect to come up with an integrated design.

This grand vision was always going to be expensive and it took impressive long-term thinking and an awful lot of nerve to see it through the escalating costs during times when public funding either wasn't on the agenda or else was negligible.

Accordingly, the GAA has been lavishly praised for the achievement that is Croke Park. A friend with catholic sporting tastes was recently in the new stadium for the first time in a while and even he came away thinking that the GAA was right not to want to share its prize possession with other sports.

The general derision that greets the FAI's every misfortune has largely overwhelmed any sympathy for soccer's plight at being left on the streets after being promised a mansion.

The weekend revelations about the soccer team's rampant "socialising" a week before the start of the World Cup has intensified this trend with one baffled post on the GAA discussion site www.clarehurlers.com pointing out that you'd go off the beer for a junior B final, never mind a World Cup.

There is a similar lack of sympathy for the IRFU who in the popular mindset are lying on a bed they made for themselves - a mattress stuffed with notes, guineas and sovereigns or any other takings rugby has accumulated over the centuries.

But when all of this subsides the problems of the three major sports have to be addressed and it is a problem for the GAA because a big decision has to be made on the use of Croke Park. The almost incandescent irritation of GAA president Seán McCague whenever the subject of the UEFA bid arises is understandable, but even if you accept that Euro '08 is as likely to be staged in Iraq as in Ireland and Scotland, the long-term availability of the GAA headquarters still has to be discussed.

Regardless of whether it's right or wrong to lean on the GAA concerning Rule 42 and allowing that the dangling of remaining public funding committed to Croke Park in front of the noses of the association's officers is little short of extortion (given the GAA's financial exposure because of accelerated building work encouraged by these additional grants), there are still good reasons why the ground should be opened.

AS ever with the GAA, no one's any the wiser as to the precise intentions on the subject of Rule 42. Here are some of the things we do know, however. McCague is not particularly enthused by the matter.

McCague had an emotional commitment to repealing Rule 21 (the ban on Northern security forces) because he believed that the GAA shouldn't be hobbling the nascent PSNI by forbidding Gaelic players - a prime source of nationalist recruits - from enlisting. He has no such commitment to changing Rule 42.

There were, however, smoke signals recently from influential former president Peter Quinn, on RTÉ's Questions and Answers and president-elect Seán Kelly, in an interview with Tony Leen in the Examiner to the effect that the GAA should be willing to consider the matter in the light of its commitment to community.

Quinn's position had been made doubly clear on the same programme last January. On that occasion, he was speaking as chairman of the Strategic Review Committee whose then just-published report recommended the devolution to Central Council of the power to decide on the use of Croke Park.

In general discussion, he confirmed his view that commercial considerations made the leasing of the GAA's biggest asset an attractive proposition.

This straightforward consideration remains as tenable now as then. But there are other considerations.

Section 4.5 of the SRC report states that: Throughout its history the GAA has contributed significantly to community life from the simple provision of sporting outlets to personal development for its members. . .

At 4.11, the report adds: Committee members believe that the principal focus of the GAA should be the promotion of Gaelic games. Nevertheless, the GAA should also be active in supporting other facets of Irish identity and culture. . .

The comments of Quinn and Kelly echo this belief in the GAA having regard to a wider community than the one immediately defined by membership.

It is understandable that the SRC might not wish its deliberations at the end of the month to be derailed by the massive hype that would inevitably accompany any debate on Rule 42. But, regardless of whether the GAA remove the provision in time to prop up the Euro '08 bid, it is time for the rule to go.

Aside from recognising the interests of the wider community and financial reality, the GAA should also bear in mind the litany of examples from the congress debate of last year - examples of other sports happily allowing GAA clubs to use their facilities from The Hague to Tullamore.

Armagh rugby club was one of the destinations for the Sam Maguire last week and the good relationship between the sports was emphasised.

The GAA have won the big argument on their foresight and independence. Now it's time for the bigger picture.