Back in the days when Waterford hurlers were competing in All-Ireland finals on a slightly more regular basis than today, the Ban was well in force.

All GAA players are, first and foremost, sportsmen and it goes against the grain of any sportsman to exclude himself from any particular sport or group of sports.  GAA players couldn’t do much about the ban while it was in force.  Restrictive as it was, if players didn’t abide by it, then they wouldn’t be allowed to play.

It was a bit of a taboo subject amongst players too.  One daren’t discuss ones views on it because it you never knew who was listening.

My father did incur the wrath of the local politburo when he committed the sin of kicking a soccer ball around with 3 others on a public area in Dungarvan in the early 50’s.  They banned him for 6 months for that, even though it wasn’t an official soccer game or anything like it.  Later, in 1963, they banned his Waterford team-mate Tom Cheasty.  His crime was attending a dance which was a fundraiser for a local soccer club.  While he was able to stomach (just about) the fact that he had transgressed a rule and was therefore subject to punishment, what he could not stomach was the fact that other more senior member of the GAA were also in attendance at the same event, yet escaped any form of censure.

“My Father: A Hurling Revolutionary, the life and times of Ned Power” is out on paperback at the end of November 2009.  Click here for further information, pre-order and excerpt.