Greed – For Lack of a Better Word – is Good
By Conor Mallon
The 3rd Sin
Character Gordon Gekko played by Michael Douglas in William Oliver Stone’s 1987 film Wall Street delivers a ‘motivational’ speech surrounding the eponymous 3rd sin, declaring that “greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit”. Gekko here argues that self-interest, ambition, and the pursuit of personal gain are positive forces. Economic growth is prioritised over human morality.
Grab All Association
The GAA’s annual meeting of congress at Croke Park was disrupted on Saturday the 28th of February by members of a pro-Palestine group calling for the association to severe their ties with German organisation Allianz; with whom the GAA has maintained a 30-year long sponsorship and association. The protest comes following a report from a UN special rapporteur last year claiming the German company has profited from Israeli forces being in Gaza.
AA president and Jordon Belfort wannabe Jarlath Burns responded to the protest saying the protestors had “crossed a line” and made direct reference to an attack carried by the Glennanne gang, a known unit of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). The gang attacked Donnelly’s Bar in Burns’ local parish of Silverbridge, killing Trevor Brecknell, 32, Patsy Donnelly, 24, and Michael Donnelly, 14, in December 1975. Burns said, “I don’t need any lectures or people shouting in my face about what it’s like to go to bed at night fearful that somebody would barge into your bedroom and riddle you with bullets because that was my lived experience when I was young”.
Strange Comparison
The GAA is supposed to be a safe space for all. For years, the organisation has cultivated an image of humble volunteers, parish pride, and the amateur spirit. The players of the GAA don’t see any money as a benefit of Burns’ hypocrisy, rather he himself as his feeble cronies prosper financially. The association which once banned players from a Limerick and Tipperary match from wearing jerseys to promote the Dillon Quirke Foundation in aid of SADS, and that banned members from playing or watching “foreign” sports like soccer, rugby, cricket etc. as part of Rule 27 from 1905 to April 10, 1971 continues to prosper off the hypocrisy and greed of a corporate behemoth amid serious ethical questions.
Former footballer of the year and 2-time All-Ireland winner Peter Canavan called Burn’s response a “strange comparison” saying, “He mentioned that there were no convictions on those killings. That was 50 years ago. Why? Because so many people buried their heads in the sand and didn’t want to know what was going on.” As long as Burns’ and the GAA’s greed continues to rot the promise of organised community prosperity, the sport will always be seen as rotten right to the very core.
Burns’ burying of his head in the sand depicts a clear refusal to allow discussion surrounding his flawed moral compass and his clear preference for commercial interests, preferring them over the grassroots values on which the GAA supposedly relies. Burns is less a guardian of community and rather a gatekeeper of truth protecting a lucrative status quo at any cost. Greed takes priority over genocide for this Dr Seussian villain.
References
[1] Stone, O., (1987). “Wall Street”. United States: Twentieth Century Fox.
[2] Recamara, J., (2026). “Burns Defends Allianz Partnership as GAA Revolt Exposes Sponsor Risk.” Insurance Business, Mar 2026. Available at: https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/uk/news/breaking-news/burns-defends-allianz-partnership-as-gaa-revolt-exposes-sponsor-risk-566940.aspx.
[3] [5] [8] O’Reilly, R., (2026). “GAA: Peter Canavan Accuses Association of Burying Sponsorship Debate.” BBC News, 1 Mar 2026. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g29rzgw6eo
[4] Doyle, C., (2025). “Silverbridge: Call for ‘Acknowledgement’ on 50th Anniversary of Troubles’ Murders.” BBC News, 19 Dec 2025. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr5zpe4v9zqo
[6] Crowe, D., (2023). “Joe Canning Brands GAA Decision to Not Allow Wearing of Dillon Quirke Foundation Logo as ‘a Bit of a Disgrace.’” The Irish Independent, 24 Jul 2023. Available at: https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/joe-canning-brands-gaa-decision-to-not-allow-wearing-of-dillon-quirke-foundation-logo-as-a-bit-of-a-disgrace/a1579270867.html
[7] “Rule 27″, Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_27
