An Fear Rua is old enough to remember the shock among the older members of Gowlnacalley-John Redmonds when the news came through of the sinking of 'The Titanic'.... But he never thought he'd live to see the day the wholesome, redheaded star of the film of the same name would get mixed up with a court case involving the GAA....

Hamilton... McCracken... Moriarty... Flood.... No, these are not the names of the final line of defence of the celebrated Gowlnacalley-John Redmonds junior hurling team of the Thirties. They are, instead, the names of distinguished members of the judiciary of the higher courts. An Fear Rua understands from some of his legal friends in the Four Courts that Chief Justice Hamilton's sporting proclivities lie more towards the soccer code - God bless the mark! - rather than towards hurling or gaelic football. Perhaps that is a hangover from his days palling around with members of the Labour Party beyond in Rathmines, in Dublin. Recent unfortunate controversies have resulted in the departure from the Supreme Court of Mr Justice Hugh O'Flaherty, a decent Kerryman (if that's not an oxymoron), who regularly follows the fortunes of his native county. So, the GAA has lost, literally, a friend in court.

An Fear Rua is all too familiar with the recent spate of fisticuffs - and worse - on GAA fields and the successful prosecution of a young player for a grievous assault during a game in County Galway. And he has warned of the imminence of the GAA appearing before one of the superior courts arising out of its multifarious activities and its rather unsatisfactory method of providing for compensation for injuries sustained by players. However, even my goodself could not have foreseen how quickly my prediction in An Fear Rua #4 would come true, and in such an absurd manner!

A row over the proposed transfer of a young player from one club to another in Clonmel, County Tipperary has ended up in the High Court. Patrick O'Donoghoe is suing an tUasal Tomás Ó Baróid, secretary of Tipperary County Board and Mr Seán Quirke, Secretary of Clonmel Óg GAA club. He wants the Court to overrule the County Board and uphold his transfer to the famous Clonmel Commercials Club.

The Court was told that during 1993 there was 'a haemorrhage' of applications to leave the Ógs and join the Commercials. Mr Eddie Kearney, a teacher and co-founder of the Ógs, said the departures - to gain senior status - began as a trickle, but when they continued, it was like 'panic on the Titanic'. Well, indeed, thinks An Fear Rua. There is no doubt the sight of the red-headed, winsome, Miss Kate Winslett in a wet O'Neill's jersey would set the blood racing in many a true young Gael. Even poor Leonardo di Caprio wouldn't stand a chance against some of the GAA boyos going the roads nowadays, if they got half a look at her. It all reminds An Fear Rua of the time, in his younger days, when one of the more forward of the Gowlnacalley-John Redmonds camogie players asked him if that was a hurley he had under his jersey, or was he just glad to see her. Not long after, the same girleen got a good stroke of Canon Guiry's 'Bod Dubh' when he caught her canoodling in the maythorn bushes near the GAA pitch with one of the Under-21 panel.

The learned High Court judge has reserved his decision in the Clonmel case for delivery on a later date. The real issue at stake - how to protect weaker clubs from stronger clubs, while not infringing the rights of association of individual players - is a critical one for the GAA. The consequences of the court's decision could be serious for the Association. An Fear Rua would defend to the death the right of young Patrick O'Donoghoe to take his case to the highest court in the land. Was it not for that the young men and women of Easter 1916 fought in the GPO and Bolands Mills and that Dan Breen and Seán Hogan shot a couple of unarmed RIC men in the back at Soloheadbeg in 1919? But he cannot help thinking there might have been a more sensible, pragmatic solution to this, that would have avoided the need to have recourse to law.