GAELIC FOOTBALL

Hokitika Guardian, 24 September 1932, Page 6

GAELIC FOOTBALL

THE .ANTITHESIS OF RUGBY. NO AMUSEMENT TAX IMPOSED. LONDON, .Sep.' ’l9. Sports of every kind find favour in Ireland, says a leading sports writer. Active preparations are in train to extend a “caed mile failte” to Dr O'Callaghan and Messrs Tisdall and Woods, who won renown for Eire at the Olympic Games at Loss Angeles. It is midsummer, and the games are in full swing, Gaelic football partcularly is vigoumusly played. In .thffito^aj'• of Wexford last Sunday morhingßf -the country team, accompanied by seven hundred Wexfordians and two bands, journeyed to Dublin and played the county team. The match was drawn. Nine hundred and forty pounds were taken at the gates. The team return, ed to Wexford after midnight on Sunday with bands playing and the whole town to meet them. Neither of these teams is in the front flight, so you may imagine the happenings elsewhere.. The Gaelic football to a Rugby dollower .is the very antithesis of Rugby. The only’ similarity is that each has fifteen aside. There is a goalkeeper, ana. beside him stands an opponent. ‘.So it. is with what Rugby calls the threequarter line and with the halves and forwards. The ball is round. It is kick-, ed into touch—this is riot favoured—and it is thrown towards .either-/goal line or straight.. The. thrower surveys the field arid throws the ball to any one of his side, in the most advantageous .position. The opposing side anticipates- the throw-in, and is beside the player to whom it is thrown; The ball must not be picked off the ground by hand, and'a free-kick is given for.!this infringement; The ball must be ‘lifted by the foot from the ground to the harids, and you may run with it only three paces* To pass the ball to one of your side, you must hold it in one hahd rind push it with the other hand. To pass with both hands incurs a penalty. Holding.or obstructing an opponent is constantly penalised and slows up the game. Every effort-is made to’ propel the ball to the mouth of the goal. Under the bar is three points, over the bar one point, and as the latter is the easier attained it is more commonly qdopted. When over the goal line the ball is dead; sometimes it.'is punted into play, but ofjen it is placed, the player taking a run of ten yards. The game is very open and fast.

At a Gaelic football match in Mallow, I sat beside a journalist reporting the game. He viewed Rugby, Soccer and cricket as “foreign” games; not to be encouraged in Ireland. I differed, -and said all forms of sport should be cosmopolitan in character. In conversation with Dr. Paul Murray and Mr M. J. Dunne, members of the British team which.' visited New Zealand, they -dis{by was .gaining favour'' ip Erelarick, Last Week the’ Driil imposed an- amusement tax on all forms of sport, but excluded from 'the tax Gaelic football. I was present atvthe debate in trie Pail, /.and listened to-spirited appeals to treat all games alike. Rugby and Soccer and cricket found champions in members of all parties in the Dail. One deputy said Soccer paid enormous salaries to players. De Valera, when a student at Blackrock College, played Rugby. Revenue exigency was pleaded, 'and the' clause was carried. By'an ardent Rugby player I was informed that the antipathy to Rugby, Soccer and cricket was due to the officers and members of the British forces stationed in TreFfid playing those games in an exclusive manner. This feeling 'pra's rapidly disappearing. and Rugby was assuredly forging into favour.