Behind Closed Doors
with Cross Bencher

PLAUDITS

The Four Masters had a great summer on the playing field and all that success is now being crowned by the emerging stand at Tirconaill Park. The Club, its officers and members, can take enormous credit for its contribution to the town’s sporting life.

And it is not just this year. For a long number of years, club members have voluntarily - for no monetary reward - given much of their spare time to organise, train and provide games for the youth of the town - from eight year olds to thirty eight year olds.

On top of that, they have developed a playing park any town would be proud of, funded by the people of the town through the Club’s fund raising activities. All this is done through a quiet determination with no glory attached. For sure, the praises of certain individuals could be sung but that group know the value of their efforts and are fully aware of the appreciation of all the club members, active and inactive.

It may be in order though to single out one man, if only because his interest spans a period of almost sixty-five years. That is Tommy McGroarty whose robust support and positive advice was allied to a decency and sense of sportsmanship that has epitomised the Four Masters Club since its foundation.

Of course, similar plaudits are due to the other town football clubs. That spirit of voluntary commitment is greatly needed in the Ireland of the dying Tiger. It not only adds to the quality of life of a community - it creates a locality’s own unique life quality in the face of television and imported materialism.

THE G.A.A. COUNTY COMMITTEE must be congratulated for the improvements in the running of competitions and its overall administration of the county’s G.A.A. activities. But why do they have to go behind closed doors to debate the rule banning R.U.C./British army and Drumcree Orangemen.

Last year before the special convention, Brian McEniff hinted strongly on T.V. that Donegal would be supporting the votes of the northern counties. No other statement or report of a county board debate or its decision was issued. It was all done Behind Closed Doors. This year it was much the same, but they did publicise the changed decision, even though the Northern counties are still holding out, as is their wont. I am looking forward to hear why Brian McEniff thinks it is now right to abandon our G.A.A. friends in the North. I would also like to know why the press has been excluded from the county committee deliberations.

Maybe Donegal people are not yet mature enough to understand the Masonic-like nuances involved in such a debate and vote. Strange that twenty-four years ago, in the middle of the Long Kesh dirty protest, it was possible to allow the press hear and report the views of the delegates at a county convention on the same issue.

I don’t know how the editor does it, but he has come up with a Democrat front page story on that convention - he is of course big on nostalgia. It was held in the Golden Grill, Letterkenny on the 15th January 1978 and was attended by over 200 delegates. The main controversy came at the end of the session when a motion, proposed by Glenfinn, calling for the abolition of Rule 15 (as it then was) was proposed. Many delegates spoke opposing the motion, but the delegate from Four Masters, Brian Gallagher, said that the G.A.A. should not be afraid to discuss the motion and bring it to the national congress.

NATIONAL SCANDAL

It has taken the tribunals of the last decade to open our eyes to the level of perjury perpetrated in this society, especially at the so-called higher levels. Perjury is a crime and in ‘pagan’ England it is recognised as such, with two high Tories languishing in prison as testimony.

In Holy Ireland perjury is widespread and the perpetrators seem to reap the bulk of the material rewards of the country’s recent economic success. Instead of these people risking prison sentences and ignominy, they are regarded as business clever and are extolled by the business sector and revered by most of the rest of us.

Yes, there are some politicians who have been exposed, but the main impression is that business professionals will lie under oath with impunity. The scandal is not just the corruptions these people are involved in but rather the blasphemy of calling on God as a witness to their lies at the tribunals.

It is way past time that the administration of oaths to witnesses was ended. At present, the honest man is placed under an awful disadvantage; he takes seriously his promise to tell the truth and the fact of taking the oath adds the burden of scrupulousness. To then realise that the last thing most of those putting questions to him want to hear is the truth and the very last thing they want to hear is the whole truth. This is an abuse of the truth and psychological and spiritual abuse of the God-fearing.

Let our judicial system openly admit that lies are the currency of courts and tribunals, and cease the blasphemous inclusion of God as witness to its proceedings.

The Economic Recession was predicted in this column some time ago and all the national economists are now catching up. Of course, it is bad for Ireland but it need not necessarily be as bad for South Donegal.

The Celtic Tiger planners were planning to continue the build up of Sligo and Letterkenny as major centres of development. South Donegal was to be frozen out. In the new economic paradigm we now have time to make the case for a South Donegal economic corridor.

It is time for business leaders from the main towns of Bundoran, Ballyshannon, Donegal and Killybegs to come together to devise a plan and strategy to maximise the huge economic potential of the area. They need have no doubt that the politicians will be supportive, but please leave out the bureaucrats. They have really nothing to offer. In fact success at the end will have to be driven by the politicians, so the next election will be of huge importance.