Reply To: Dublin&Belfast Olympics!
I don’t think it would be possible at the moment to stage anything of major sporting importance here, realistically speaking. We are too lethargic and lack optimistic vision. Our facilities are Zilch! If money were to be spent on such projects the bleeding heart brigade would be complaining about lack of hospital beds, the homeless, the buses, the weather etc….
I do not agree with you that complaining about the cost of staging a major sporting event does not make me a bleeding heart, nor does it say that I lack ‘optimistic’ vision.
Ireland will only develop into a true first world nation with considerable expenditure in all areas of our infrastructure. The most notable areas of need include transport (public and private), health and education. All of these areas require investment long before we can even contemplate the massive expenditure required to host the olympics.
In the next few years we will have two major stadia in our country of four million people. There are also a number of other well established venues. Sport is very important to the people of Ireland. The major sports in this country are football, gaelic football, hurling and rugby. We hold our own in both rugby and football, and the gaa is a shining example of amateur sport to the whole world. There is plenty of vision in all of these organizations, and the general level of professionalism is improving.
With the correct investment in our country we will lay the foundation for a nation to be proud of, and a nation which has risen from a very deep rooted recession which lasted throughout a generation. Our school/health/transport system will all be top notch if we continue the investment already underway in the NDP.
To waste 9 billion on an event, with very little follow on benefits would not be an act of optimism, it would be an act of the very highest ostenation, we would waste all of our tax money just to show the world that we are capable of hosting an event that will be remembered for 12 months at best, and what then.
I am not a bleeding heart… I am a believer in the potential of this nation. My optimism is well founded, and I believe that we can become leaders in technology & bio-technology as well as financial services. We are slowly starting to build cities that reflect our new found optimism. We are not stupid enough to throw all our resources at a corporate marketing event.
Maybe in 25 years time when all our investment has reaped a better state, but until then I certainly do not want my tax money squandered on a frivolous event such as the Olympics.
