Gavin’s genius wasted behind the trees in the Park

My late father seemed to have a saying and/or one liner for nearly every scenario in life, and in my mind’s ear I could almost hear him muse “It’s very easy to be a busy fool” when news emerged that Fianna Fail were considering asking former Dublin football Messiah Jim Gavin to be their nominee in the forthcoming Presidential election.

Now, it wouldn’t be that for a second he considered Gavin to be a fool – nor do I – more that the Clondalkin native’s genius would be wasted behind the trees in the Phoenix Park for seven or 14 years. If I were in Micheal Martin’s position, and if he had a brain in his head, the answers to both of the above ponderables is presently negative, I would be cultivating – if one was to title it thus – the very popular Round Towers clubman into either a General Election or European Commission candidate.

Seeing the success the likes of Ciaran Mullooly has had as an Independent candidate, Cynthia Ni Mhurchu likewise with Fianna Fail and a couple of Fine Gael candidates with no political background or nous have managed to get themselves nice pension pots for a bit of globe trotting.

So you can imagine what a candidate of substance like Jim Gavin might be able to achieve for the people of his Dublin constituency or, indeed, the nation depending on what election they might run him in rather than wasting his talent and gravitas on the damp squib non entity that is the Presidency.

Mind you, as much as I would be certain that Jim would be a massive asset to the Fianna Fail team and as a consequence the nation in a non sporting capacity, in my view he is far too important to the present and future of the GAA.

If it was down to me, Jim is the glaringly obvious candidate to replace Jarlath Burns as Uachtarain CLG once his desperately disappointing term of office is done.