“Money talks, but it don’t sing and dance and it don’t walk”. It could save you having to walk and pay for singing and dancing lessons though. So in short, yes, the more of the stuff you have available, the easier life can sometimes be. Sometimes. It’s only in such circumstances does the concept of ‘Disposable Income’ become a talking point.
In other words, money to spend on whatever the hell you like. Shock, horror, with me that would be either developing and re-stocking the farm and/or investing further into racehorse ownership. I say further because, as was, to my utter joy discovered a couple of years ago, there’s more than one way to saddle a horse, so to speak. Where there’s a will there’s a way.
However, the key factor in all of the above was the word ‘Disposable’. You have the choice to do whatever you like with the dough in question. In a very high percentage of life, mind you, that’s not an option. Most of the time there is a need to prioritise what’s essential to day to day life, for reasons that scarcely need explaining.
For example, in the past month alone, yours truly has had to fork out nigh on €1500 for repairs for the electronics on my bed. Which make the little bed of sleep which is attained comfortable and, even more importantly, make rising from the place of slumber at all possible.
Now that is not being complained about for a second, mention was merely made by way of an example to illustrate that, sometimes, money is not there to spend as one would like. Mind you, there should be no such concerns about the GAA coffers at the highest level. So as to underline as such, for GAA President Jarlath Burns to drop yet another clanger by playing the financial card as a reason to kick the can of integration between the GAA, LGFA and the Camogie Association down the road. Presumably far enough down the road until he’s out of office.
The figure of €500m that An tUachtaran is bandying about as the purported cost of integration is absolutely asinine. The only expenses that come to mind for this writer would be, while steep, nothing in the region of the figure Mr Burns has touted. Off the top of one’s head, the only expenses which are obviously liable to occur are in terms of administration and advertising.
As in, the changing of stationery and advertising and the possible expenses which may occur due to same plus whatever staffing restructures many be required with, essentially, three organisations becoming one, but even allowing for all that, by any sane calculation, costs involved would be well south of the astronomical numbers being mentioned. The big numbers are purely being used as a means of financial scaremongering to fob off desired change that quite simply has to happen for the sake of all limbs of the GAA.
IT AINT BROKE, SO WHY MEDDLE WITH IT?
Staying with Gaelic Games, it has to be said that it’s most disappointing to learn from the snippets of the Football Review Committee (FRC) final report which have become public that Jim Gavin and his group have decided to row back on some of their own brilliant work.
There’s no discernable reason for them not to proceed with the upgrading of a goal to four points. Furthermore, I cannot see why they felt the need to tamper with the timer/hooter system as it is.
If my understanding of what they are proposing is correct, a game will now end as soon as the hooter goes. UNLESS either team has a free/45/line ball awarded just as the siren sounds.
So here’s my query, if the aforementioned scenario does come into play, would it not stand to reason that if, per se, a team does launch a line ball or free goalward, they must be allowed to finish out the phase of play? So why the difference then for when the ball is in open play?
Obfuscating obduracy to placate a few whiners. C’mon Jim, you’re better than that!
A CHANGE IN THE JUDICIARY AS THE MASTER APPROCHES THE BENCH
It was said at one time – only partially in jest – that Donal Smyth’s nickname within the Meath group of old was The Judge. Due to the length of time he was on the bench waiting for a chance to get in ahead of Mickey McQuillan.
That being the case, how many members of the judiciary have there been in Dublin? With the two shades of blue having nurtured some of the greatest custodians ever to canter between a set of goalposts.
Just think of some of the names – Cullen, O’Leary, Cluxton. Now consider some of the fine netminders who had to serve their time on the bench as they waited for chances which in some cases never came.
People such as Derek O’Farrell, Mick Pender, Davy Byrne, Mick Savage, Evan Comerford and David O’Hanlon. That’s only off the top of my head. Well, it now appears that, if Comerford or O’Hanlon or whomever else might fancy their chances of being number one are to hang around, their time might finally have come.
Such inclinations are based on Friday night’s announcement that the great, incomparable Stephen Cluxton will – along with Denis Bastick and Dean Rock – form part of Ger Brennan’s new Dublin setup.
Then again,after all the history Stephen has made in GAA, I wouldn’t rush to rule out the notion of player/selector!