The tenth of December, 2005, was a memorable date in the history of football in Ireland. For the first time since its foundation in 1889, the Gaelic Athletic Association, more familiarly known by its acronym, the GAA., agreed to allow another sport to use its historic grounds in Dublin to be the venue for international soccer and rugby matches played on Irish soil.

Croke Park, the traditional venue for All-Ireland football and hurling finals, hallowed in national remembrance because of Bloody Sunday, that day of infamy in 1920 when British troops opened fire on unsuspecting, unarmed spectators, killing 14 civilians and wounding many others, holds a mystique shared by no other sports ground in the country.

By extension, playing Gaelic football and hurling was recognized as an expression of national culture. Playing foreign games, such as soccer and cricket, was regarded as somehow un-Irish.

Fortunately one organized branch of football, rugby, to a large extent remained free of a similar connotation. Despite the sundering of the country in two, the Twenty-Six County Republic, and the Six County British-held north-east, Ireland fielded a national rugby team comprised of players from both parts, and wins against other countries were celebrated country-wide.

Jackie Kyle, Ernie Strathdee, Karl Mullen, Noel Henderson, even a young Tony Reilly, became household names, along with hurlers and footballers Christy Ring, Jack Lynch (later to become Taoiseach), Ger Cunningham, Tony Scullion, and a host of others too numerous to list.

All three major sports thrived. Today all three enjoy major fan support.

It took many years for soccer to gain similar respect. To play it, to attend its games, was frowned upon, especially in rural areas. Finding a proper playing pitch was often difficult.

Both the Twenty-Six and the Six Counties fielded "national soccer teams". Only once did one qualify to play in the World Cup. That was in 1994.

In neither two "countries" was there a national stadium worthy of the name.

Now, thanks to the efforts of both the GAA and the IFA, the Irish soccer association, an arrangement has been arrived at allowing international soccer matches to be held in the one venue suitable for such occasions. This arrangement will remain in place until refurbishment of the existing Lansdowne rugby grounds is completed, a task expected to take several years.

There is a lesson for all sports bodies in the announcement made last December 10. If the GAA can open Croke Park, an 82,000 seat stadium, to international soccer, it is high time for all Thirty-Two Counties in Ireland to field one national team, composed of the best players from all parts of the country.

The 2010 World Cup beckons. Time to get cracking. Time to make a dream come true!

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