Opinion
Una Mullally: If Dublin can pull out all the stops for the NFL, why not for the GAA?
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Over the weekend, Dublin pulled out the stops to welcome American football fans to the Irish capital. The place was festooned with flags and installations, making it hard to escape the reality that a game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings was happening. That’s more than you can say for All-Ireland final weekends, when our national sports also take over Croke Park – yet often, walking around the city centre on those weekends, you might miss the fact these huge national sporting occasions are even on.
Not so for the NFL. The courtyard at Dublin Castle became a fan area that included a field goal kick challenge. In City Hall, a Super Bowl exhibition. Large “Dublin” signs appeared outside the GPO and on the Liffey. Merrion Square Park was used for a tailgate party. A huge American football helmet sculpture (manned by security) arrived at Barnardo Square on Dame Street, branded with “Government of Ireland” in case anyone was confused about who was responsible.
There were American football-themed street markings on the recently pedestrianised Parliament Street, and another along the side of City Hall. NFL flags lined the Liffey, and a water projection screen with team logos spat mist. A big Dublin City Council-branded American football landed at the Spire. NFL merch shops popped up. A huge American football mural took over hoarding on Ormond Quay that had previously been home to one of the city’s most well-known pieces of street art by Asbestos and Neto Vettorello – ironically titled Do Not Remove.
I’m not opposed to any of this, even if it’s a little undignified and so obviously geared towards rinsing the American tourist dollar. Very few people who call Dublin city home were actually interested in the match, generally seeming either mystified or irritated by the citywide display. I’m sure hotels, restaurants, taxi drivers, cafes, and pubs did very well out of it all, and fair play to them. As long ago as July, hotel rooms that normally go for less than €150 a night were priced north of €500; last week one city centre hotel was quoting €1,200 for a room that would cost €378 just one week later.
But what I am really opposed to is that this doesn’t happen on our All-Ireland final weekends, annual pinnacle occasions in Irish sport, which also take place in the capital. I’ve never seen a Government of Ireland-branded hurling helmet plonked in the middle of town.
Here’s the good news: this is clear evidence that Dublin City Council and the Irish Government, in partnership with a sporting organisation, can create a citywide celebration of a match when required. There is plenty of creativity, ambition and money available when Americans come to town. A fantastic sense of occasion was magically conjured up, ensuring those heading to a game that’s important to them didn’t just feel acknowledged, but that the city belonged to them.
Of course, Dublin doesn’t belong to tourists alone. It belongs to us all.
We should have the confidence and ambition to celebrate Irish sporting occasions in the same way. Creating the conditions for people to have a good time is not a frivolous thing. Dublin city centre is in desperate need of a greater sense of fun, for an upbeat mood to take hold instead of the downward spiral the capital’s reputation is in.
The NFL is not part of Irish culture; the GAA is. Why not take this enthusiasm and roll out citywide parties for next year’s All Ireland weekends, ensuring supporters who descend on Dublin from around the country are given a brilliant day out and great memories? The city as a whole would get behind that.
The irritation expressed by many Dubliners around the American football game was not a superficially negative or snide reaction. But because it demonstrates that hospitality and sporting appreciation is something generated for foreign tourists, while those of us who live here grapple with a context often lacking in an uplifting buzz, there was a bit of cynicism about the whole thing.
If we can do so much for the Steelers and the Vikings, then we can do it for football, hurling and camogie. Now that we know the city can jump into action to celebrate a match, next summer I look forward to seeing outdoor screenings of the finals in Dublin Castle for those without tickets, organised parties in parks, family zones for young fans to kick a ball or puck a sliotar, vibrant murals and street markings promoting the games and areas for traders to sell merchandise all around the city. Let’s see county-specific street food stalls, fireworks displays, fan parades, free concerts, and pop-up exhibitions celebrating our sporting heritage. It wouldn’t just be an economic boost for the city, it would be a great vibe. It would make people proud to celebrate our own culture, and it would reconnect many people from around the country who aren’t bothered to visit Dublin any more. That’s a much more sustainable pool of visitors to draw from.
Dublin’s All-Ireland Festival is a no-brainer.
