The GAA should give the lead when it came to removal of sponsorship by alcoholic drinks companies from sport, its patron Archbishop Dermot Clifford said yesterday.
"It should be the first sporting organisation to give it up. As the greatest amateur sporting organisation in the world it should be setting the gold standard," he said.
He was speaking in Maynooth yesterday at a press conference to mark the end of the Irish Bishops' Conference spring meeting.
He said the situation concerning teenagers being involved in football training on Sunday mornings was "out of hand, to be honest". He recalled incidents where busloads of youngsters were picked up or let off at church gates for training on Sunday mornings, while missing Mass. "The young have a duty to go to Mass. You might say they would not go. Maybe so. But a young lad who is under 14 afraid of not holding his place on the team will go training. So will his parents."
The bishops' statement on Tuesday calling for an end to football training on Sunday mornings was "a very gentle request to people to look at this", he said.
Asked about GAA and IRFU responses that this was not logistically possible, he said "our emphasis is on the parents at the grassroots level, not on organisational heads."
He continued "I am from the country. The shepherd's voice will be listened to. I expect a positive response from parents. People know in their hearts that Sunday is the Lord's day . . . They see that there is more to life than fun, games and shopping."
Bishop Éamonn Walsh, auxiliary bishop of Dublin and vice-chairman of the bishops' drugs and alcohol initiative, pointed out that in France hoardings at soccer and rugby matches were changed so there was no alcohol advertised during games. He criticised "in your face" alcohol advertising, which was widespread.
Bishop Donal McKeown, auxiliary bishop of Down and Connor, said the "Year of Vocation" being launched in April was intended to raise awareness of the vocation "to know, love and serve".
