Bill Doonan is the answer!

The GAA hierarchy are expecting a 10 per cent down turn in attendances in 2009 which will, of course, lead to a €6 million shortfall in income - along with the persistent drama down in Cork and a listless league thus far that makes for pretty depressing reading.
Anyway, a mate works for a Dublin-based advertising agency and he rang today for a chat. He mentioned that they had to come up with a good idea for a TV advertising campaign which they hoped would get the GAA public to come out in their droves this summer . . . well I’ve got one!
Remember Breandán Ó hEithir’s classic story (re-told in the final chapter of his seminal book ‘Over The Bar’) about Bill Doonan.
Well, Bill, a Cavan footballer, found himself working as a radio operator for the British Army during World War II. Then, all of shot like, Bill went missing from his regiment one September Sunday in 1943 when the lads were fighting the good fight in southern Italy, down Monte Cassino way.
Seeing as his comrades in arms were so fond of Bill they set off, risking life and limb, in search of the man. They eventually happened upon Bill who was perched precariously up a tree where he was successfully attempting to eavesdrop on a signal from good old Ireland which was helpfully broadcasting a commentary from the All-Ireland football final between his native Cavan and Roscommon - Roscommon won that one 2-7 to 2-2.
Sixty-six years on I don’t believe that anybody has come anywhere near matching that story when it comes to illustrating what the GAA means to so many people.
Now wouldn’t that make for a classic advert?

Brian McDonnell