There’s an old joke people used to make when the Square Shopping Centre first opened for business in the early 90’s. The Pope was called in to cut the ribbon and declared to the masses watching “I now officially open these Olympics games”.

One of the local Bishops went over and had a quiet word in his ear, saying “Your Holiness, you’re opening a shopping centre, not the Olympics.”

The Pope replied “Why is everyone wearing tracksuits then?”

The Pontiff had a point of course. Too many of us today are content to walk around like off-duty athletes: trainers, tracksuits and topped off with the ubiquitous Baseball cap. Since when did sportswear become acceptable as fashion wear?

It’s inexplicable how baseball caps became so popular in Ireland. For one thing, the game is rarely seen in this country. The cap was also designed to protect player’s eyes from the glare of the sun– again something not seen in this country.

It’s difficult to point the finger at anyone in particular for the appearance of this wretched cloth, but if I had to blame someone it would be ITV.

Their decision to show ‘The A-Team’ in the early 1980’s was to have an enormous detrimental effect on impressionable youth in this country. Before that show we were quite content to wear a wide variety of headgear. Monkey hats, berets, bobble hats, hip young men in trilbys; it was laissez- faire for hair. I even remember wearing a Bus Conductor cap for a period! The entire cast of The A-team seemed to wear the dreaded Baseball cap and before you could say “I pity the fool”, the country was shaking the dandruff out of its collective cap.

Nowadays, Baseball caps are everywhere, worn by everyone. The Lord is our Shepherd I know, but do we all have to be sheep. I say bin the cap and go buy yourself a nice Boater or Fedora or something with perhaps with straw or flowers for the ladies.

Then we can all emerge into a bright new tomorrow, where gentlemen will stroll amiably along thoroughfares chin up, chest out, cane in hand. If any fair maiden should pass us by, we would immediately doff our caps and bid them good morn. Aah! We can but dream.