CORK’S CHRISTY Cooney, who on Saturday formally became the GAA’s 36th president, laid out in his inaugural address six focal areas for the first year of his term of office.

Achieving potential: "The first is allowing the association to reach its potential. Over the last 125 years from humble beginnings in Thurles, the GAA has grown to become the most successful voluntary sporting organisation in the world. I have strong feelings about the need to continue driving forward, not at break-neck speed in helter-skelter fashion but in a carefully planned and considered way that consolidates and builds on the strides we have made in recent decades. In that context the idea of borrowing funds – should the need arise – to sustain our ongoing development projects, is something that we should not dismiss out of hand."

The club: "Our second focus area is to ensure the club remains the most important unit in the association. With this in mind I, with the assistance of Páraic (Duffy, director general), will be launching a programme throughout the association we are calling 'Ag aisteacht'.

“This is a commitment from Páraic and me that we will host a listening process in 40 clubs each year that will see us go to each of the four provinces – and beyond – to meet club members and get their views on the association, on what we do well and what we could improve on.”

He added that a ceremonial wall featuring the crests of all of the association’s 2,600 clubs would be erected in Croke Park. “This will be funded by the launch of a limited edition range of leisurewear specially designed to celebrate our 125th birthday. This will be launched in May to coincide with Lá na gClub and should be seen as another initiative to place ‘the club’ at the heart of the association.”

Volunteerism:"I have included in my committee structure, a new dedicated presentation and awards committee – which will be made up of a group of dedicated high-calibre volunteers. This group will be responsible for identifying ways to support the needs of our volunteers and to equip clubs to attract and retain the best."

Players:"Our fourth area will be improving the structural support for our players at all levels within our association. We will continue to improve our player welfare systems and I intend to launch a member assistance programme later this year to assist our members who experience difficulties in their personal lives."

Other aspects of this will include discipline, fixtures planning for all players, coaching, a pilot career support programme in five counties, in time to be rolled out nationally

Youth: "On November 7th in Croke Park we will hold a youth forum involving over 300 members from clubs from every county and province . . . to listen to their views, their ideas and their aspirations for the future of the association.

Urbanisation:"We will have a dedicated committee in Croke Park responsible for working with county boards developing ways of assisting clubs to grow their membership while at the same time developing new clubs and new club concepts in urban areas.