When making the journey through life on wheels – or with any type of disability – the temptation and opportunities to defer to the lyrics of Australian singer/song writer Shannon Noll are numerous.
“What about me, it isn’t fair, I’ve had enough now I want my share”. However, that was not my motivation in writing the piece which appeared in yesterday’s (18/5/25) Sunday Independent. Quite the opposite in fact.
Before going a turn of the wheels further, though, there are people who deserve sincere thanks for making the piece possible. Colm O’Rourke for giving me the confidence to have a go at it.
My partner, motivator and rock of sense Susan for channelling her anger about the situation into getting the photo which accompanied the piece.
Most importantly, John Greene (Sports Editor) and Gerry Mooney from the Sunday Independent for the interest, patience understanding and the opportunity to make it possible.
To the team from Off The Ball who covered the story extensively and compassionately during their newspaper review. And finally but most especially to family, friends, colleagues and indeed strangers who phoned, text, sent video messages, emails, WhatsApps or shared it on social media or anywhere else they could. Each and every one appreciated and I will be doing my utmost to get back to as many of ye as possible in due course.
But here’s the thing, the piece wasn’t done for or motivated by myself. I realise how priviliged I am to be in the position I am and to have such a platform. Though there are hordes who do not.
So, production of the piece was driven by a desire to illustrate that there is a genuine and frustrating problem with the ‘facilities’ in GAA HQ and to give those who may not have the means to have their voices heard a place in the chorus for desired and required change. Thus, rather than the title of Noll’s song, it was very much not about me!
However, just in case anybody might have thought this was a newfound crusade for me, disabled viewing facilities at sports venues – and GAA grounds in particular – is a drum I’ve been pounding for nigh on a quarter century. Going back, in fact, to my final year in Ballyfermot College of Further Education (2003), when my thesis was based on that very subject.
Back then, there were some grounds who were going above and beyond, others who, if one was to use a school report analogy, would have ‘Could do better’ affixed to their file and, then, there were the cohort who – if one was to employ a bit of horse racing parlance – should have been subjected to a Stewards’ Enquiry under the auspices of the non triers rule.
Including two – and one in particular – whose dignity I’ll spare – wherein the only option was to reverse the wheelchair the full length of the stand and try to jam it in between the seats where possible in an endeavour to get some sort of view of proceedings. The only reason I’ll leave them with their anonymity is that, since my thesis was submitted 22 years ago, the two venues in question have got their act together in the interim and actually put some rather splendid disabled viewing accommodation in place.
That doesn’t change the fact that the elephant is still in room. Charging like a bull around a China shop. Yes folks, the farce which was the instigation of my debut in a national newspaper most recently. With a situation like that, though, there will always be things that you wished you included that missed the cut.
In this case the most glaring omission was mention of the fact that, in the immediate aftermath of the second email going to Jarlath Burns, RTE broadcaster and Cuala GAA clubman Des Cahill posted a photo of himself and others with their friend and former Cuala player Sean Drummond who was left wheelchair bound in recent years. A fairly unremarkable photo, you might think. Were it not for the fact the one seeing eye here copped that the photo was taken in the Hogan Stand, despite the fact that yours truly was categorically told on multiple occasions that there was no disabled viewing facilities on that side of the pitch.
That nugget of information – copped purely by chance as I noticed the Cusack Stand in the background – also, of course, at least presents the possibility that there may, in fact, be a way in which this journalist on wheels could indeed join colleagues on the seventh floor of the Hogan in the press facilities.
Mind you, at the time of typing, I am in no position to speculate as to what may happen next as, from the one area from which a response is awaited with greatest anticipation, the silence remains deafening.
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