This, I felt, would be a wonderful opportunity for the Association to promote how the GAA had contributed to Irish society over the past 125 years and, at the same time, set down a marker on its hopes and aspiration for the future.

It would be a wonderful opportunity to promote and market the games and the Association to over 900,000 people during prime viewing time.

The GAA itself even setup a very specialised group to liaise with The Late Late Show’s production team in an effort to ensure the 120 minutes of prime viewing time would be maximised to the full. No stone had been unturned.

I was looking forward to a programme that would inform us all how the GAA became the most successful and effective amateur sporting organisation in the world, and how it became not just a sporting organisation but a major cultural movement.

I thought we would be treated to such GAA nostalgia as why it was set up in 1884, what its purpose was at the time, how it caught on the wildfire in every corner of the country and what it contribution to Irish nationalism?

Also other subjects that I felt would be mentioned were what was the GAA’s role in the fight for Irish freedom, with reference to Bloody Sunday, as well as its role in the reunification of the Irish people in the aftermath of the Civil War.

I was hoping that they might touch on the contribution of the GAA to the social life of every parish in the country, and how the voluntary contribution of its members helped to grow the Association.

As well, we all know how this contributed to community spirit and pride of place in every parish throughout the country.

This was an opportunity to look at how the various games under the GAA - gaelic football, hurling, handball and camogie - have evolved over the years.

I thought there would be lively discussions on the role of the "ban" on foreign games by the GAA and the opening up of Croke Park.

No doubt the game of football and hurling would take centre stage. The great players down through the years, such as Mick O’Con-nell, Christy Ring and Mick Mackey were certain to be featured, weren’t they?

There were plenty of other topics that could have been discussed such as:

What was the greatest team of all-time in hurling and football?

Who were the great managers?

Who were the great GAA administrators?

Who guided and led the Association down through the years?

I also believed that there would be discussion about the great inter-county rivalries down through the years, like Cork/Tipp in hurling, Meath/Dublin in football.

The emergence of the Ulster counties in the past 15 years, the break-through of the weaker counties down through the years, like Clare in the mid-90s, could also have been touched on.

This was also an oportunity to promote the cultural side of the organisation by allowing the winners of recent Scór competitions to provide a wide variety of entertainment.

The role of the GAA in Northern Ireland during the troubles could have been discussed, as well as how the Association has promoted the Irish language.

Perhaps someone would explain the importance of continuing with the Compromise Rules trips to Australia.

Reference would, no doubt, be made to the continued growth of the Association abroad as well as the role of the GAA would play in the recent rise in emigration.

This would be a wonderful opportunity to emphasise the importance of the voluntary contribution at local level and the importance of the club, member, the club officer and the club player.

Firstly, reference would also be made to the enormous contribution that women make to both club and county structures.

It would be a celebration of 125 years of achievement but it would be an opportunity to lay down markers with regards its hopes and aspirations for the future.

The Late Late Show that I watched certainly did not live up to my expectations.

It was clear from the word go that Pat Kenny did not have the feel for the topic, neither did he have the knowledge of the Association or its personalities.

What we needed was Micheál " Muircheartaigh to present a show like this because he is a man that knows where the Association was coming from and where it is going.

The entertainment on the night was of poor taste. Why could we not have had the national winners of Scór? These would have contributed greatly to the ethos of the Association.

Greater prominence should have been given to men like Liam Mulvihill who have contributed so much to the GAA as an organisation.

Greater balance should have been given to the various games of the association. There was very little reference to the game of hurling, and no reference to ladies football, camogie or handball.

The only two females I observed in the studio were Evelyn Dunne and Henry Shefflin’s wife.

I failed to see why Brush Shieds or Eamonn Dunphy should have had such key roles in the discussion.

I accept that it was always going to be impossible to do 125 years of the GAA justice in two hours.

Nevertheless, there was clear evidence of lack of thought and balance in the planning of this programme. There was also clear evidence of lack of preparation on the part of the presenter Pat Kenny.

There was wonderful material in the audience for great discussion if only Pat knew who was who.

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