Ambition for integration of Gaelic games association but challenges remain on fixtures, finances and facilities

Clear on ambition but sketchy on detail. Still, at least we now have a target date for integration of the Gaelic Athletic Association, Camogie Association and Ladies’ Gaelic Football Association – 2027.

The Steering Group on Integration (SGI) believes there is a pathway towards amalgamation that makes it a realistic ambition for Gaelic games to be operating under the one umbrella in just three years.

Speaking at the announcement in Croke Park on Tuesday, Mary McAleese, the former president of Ireland and current chairperson of the SGI, called it “a very historic day for Gaelic games”.

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The amalgamated association will operate under the GAA name and ultimately have one president and one director general – though the top table admitted it hadn’t quite figured out how three would become one in the DG/Ard Stiúrthóir gig.

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And squaring the circle of the three Fs – facilities, finance, fixtures – remains an unsolved puzzle too.

Still, there is a sense of unstoppable momentum behind the integration process now and sorting out all the finer details will be the challenging task of the next few years. What we do know after Tuesday’s announcement is that the leaders of all three Gaelic games organisations believe amalgamation in 2027 is achievable.

Talented people will come through, their background eventually won’t matter because they will be part of this new institution we call the GAA

—  Larry McCarthy

“I wouldn’t say 2027 is the target, 2027 is when it’s going to happen,” said Camogie president Hilda Breslin.

There had been suggestions the fully-integrated organisation could be renamed as the Gaelic Games Association or indeed something else entirely, but it seems there was no great desire for a full rebranding.

“The GAA as we know it today, when integration is complete will be a different organisation,” said McAleese.

“But the name, of course, will be the GAA, which has a reach right around the globe. We did look at this because this was raised in a minor way [but] actually quite surprisingly there was very, very little support for, if you like, tabula rasa.

“I think most people realised in order to do that we could be talking about a 10- to 20-year project. We would also be making a lot of work for property lawyers.

“So, the most efficient and effective way of facilitating integration was the integration of the two formidable organisations, the Camogie Association and Ladies’ Gaelic football Association, integrating them with the GAA.

“All the staff from both those organisations will move over to work within the GAA.”

The SGI’s pathway also leads to having just one president – though it appears this will not be done on a rotational basis between the three organisations, but in the short-term at least there is likely to be a deputy president elected.

“I don’t envisage a rotation,” said GAA president Larry McCarthy, who steps down from office this weekend.

“Talented people will come through, their background eventually won’t matter because they will be part of this new institution we call the GAA.”

McAleese added that she does not foresee job losses when the three organisations join, but rather feels the thrust behind the new GAA could lead to an increase in positions.

However, arriving at a single director general won’t be a straightforward process, though that is the goal.

“Logically you would say yes,” replied McCarthy when asked if the plan was to have one DG. “But we haven’t got to that stage yet in terms of understanding how the three director generals, the Ard Stiúrthóir would fit together.

“There will have to be a structural redesign bringing in the two other associations.”

Equality of status within the new GAA means extra funding must be mined from somewhere and the problem of how player expenses will be financed is an issue that continues to sit prominently and stubbornly on the SGI’s table.

“No, we haven’t come to an answer on that one to be honest with you,” admitted McCarthy.

“Obviously there are going to be costs associated with it. Government have communicated that they will support us. We haven’t fleshed out the details of it yet.

“It will be a long road getting to there but ultimately there will be parity of esteem. What that means in terms of the whole cost to the association I’m not sure, because we haven’t figured that out. It will be very difficult to figure out but it’s part and parcel of it.”

When we went to talk to Government, we said, ‘Look, we are not looking for a load of money just for the GAA, we are looking for facilities that can be shared with other sporting organisations, other sporting institutions

—  Mary McAleese

Ultimately, the three organisations will have to get their membership to support the integration plans before it can be realised, and while there remains a lot of vagueness on the details of how exactly it will all work, the mood music generally suggests there is widespread support for the amalgamation.

The prime challenges remain on fixtures, finances and facilities – which are all intertwined. Mícheál Naughton, chairman of the LGFA, says work has already started on tackling these matters.

“Some of these groups that we’re talking about are the joint fixtures review group, the audit of existing facilities, one membership for all of the associations, one injury fund, one staffing structure, One Club models with guidance and support, games development, communication and governance, and a National Children’s Officer,” he said.

“These are the bodies and groups that will be set up over the next three years so that when it comes to 2027 there will be one association that represents the three associations as we stand today.”

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Politicians can expect to be getting calls for support over the coming years too, because for this to work Government funding will be required to help with the three Fs dilemma.

“When we went to talk to Government, we said, ‘Look, we are not looking for a load of money just for the GAA, we are looking for facilities that can be shared with other sporting organisations, other sporting institutions,’” continued McAleese.

“Because our passion is for sport, and for good sport, for amateur sport, for sporting opportunities to be available to our young people.

“I think we are going to see quite a different model for how sporting facilities are used in the future because every code is really under significant [pressure], every amateur organisation is going to say they are under pressure.

“Everybody who came to us said look out for the three Fs, facilities, finance, fixtures, we have taken that to heart very much so.”

It will, of course, happen eventually. And by providing a timeline leading to 2027, the members of the SGI have handed a sharpened pencil to those tasked with signing on the dotted line to achieve integration.

Those driving the process do not believe 2027 is fanciful.

“No, it’s not built on sand,” said McCarthy.

So, what will the landscape look like in three years?

“That we’d have one entity running all Gaelic games across county, provincial and national and that we’d be integrated together,” stated McCarthy. “That would be the aspiration.”

The ambition is clear. The challenge now is to ensure the mechanics of getting it all done are too.

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