Well, Gombeen Man has seen it all now. He’s often pondered the questionable institution that is the GAA, and its special status in the country as a founding pillar of the State, and here’s your proof.
Bit late with this one, but yesterday’s Irish Times carried a report by Joe McCabe and Tim O’Brien on a woman who was summoned to Naas court for exceeding the speed limit in a 50 km/h zone. It seems that Alison O'Donovan had not received a fixed penalty notice in the post, so she was given the opportunity to make a “charitable donation” in lieu of penalty points and a fine.
Bit late with this one, but yesterday’s Irish Times carried a report by Joe McCabe and Tim O’Brien on a woman who was summoned to Naas court for exceeding the speed limit in a 50 km/h zone. It seems that Alison O'Donovan had not received a fixed penalty notice in the post, so she was given the opportunity to make a “charitable donation” in lieu of penalty points and a fine.
All very commendable so far, you might think. After all, isn’t it about time we had a bit of latitude in these matters, rather than slapping penalty points onto people’s licences for exceeding (often inappropriate) limits by a few kilometres an hour?
And no doubt the charity would be a good cause, especially in these recessionary times. So who would it be? St Vincent de Paul? Simon? Concern? (no, they use chuggers, and don’t deserve a penny), Help the Aged?
None of the above, sad to say - for the body chosen to receive the “donation” was Sallins GAA club. Yes, in a time when more people are falling into the poverty trap, and living rough on the streets, a GAA club was the beneficiary of "charitable" Court Service funds.
So whatever you do, if you find yourself speeding in Naas, for Christ’s sake, slow down!
None of the above, sad to say - for the body chosen to receive the “donation” was Sallins GAA club. Yes, in a time when more people are falling into the poverty trap, and living rough on the streets, a GAA club was the beneficiary of "charitable" Court Service funds.
So whatever you do, if you find yourself speeding in Naas, for Christ’s sake, slow down!
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2 comments:
Ola Gombino!
Found this interesting snippet in today's Irish Times:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/1209/1228571685794.html
Not only shows it the slight mis-perception of reality in GAA-circles (commuting for one game from London to Cavan should earn the player in question a big carbon footprint up his arse), it also highlights the GAA as a local "see the lads right"-club:
"There were lots of people asking me to hang around, but no one could guarantee me a job. All the factories were shedding staff. Often in the GAA there's a builder who might throw you some work, but things were so tight that that wasn't even possible," he says.
By teh way ... did anyone else receive those cold-calls from telemarketing companies flogging a phone deal "on behalf of the GAA"?
Hiya Bernd.
That's an interesting one, alright (don't know why it's not displaying as a link). Ireland's answer to the Masons.
Haven't had any such phone calls to date, I'm glad to say.
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