Integration of the three Gaelic games associations was never going to be a straightforward journey, but Mary McAleese’s fiery resignation leaves the roadmap to realisation lying in tatters.
The optics of a former president of Ireland stepping down as chairperson of a body charged to bring about integration of the three bodies is regrettable for all involved.
But when her exit is accompanied by a scattergun of scathing criticism directed at the GAA’s leadership – accusing the association’s management committee of being “less than impressive” and “lacking in vision” – it’s clearly a very damaging development.
McAleese says she does not believe integration of the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association will happen under the current GAA leadership.
“Probably not under the current management, I’d have to say,” she told RTÉ Radio 1’s Inside Sport programme on Tuesday evening.
McAleese was appointed independent chairperson of the Steering Group on Integration (SGI) in September 2022. In February 2024, a timeline for full integration in 2027 was announced at a press conference in Croke Park at which McAleese and the leadership of all three organisations were present.
And while McAleese had remained steadfast in her belief the timeline would be met for April 2027, there had been reservations expressed by some of the parties involved, and the GAA had indicated privately they did not believe it was possible to bring the organisations under the one umbrella by that date.
The GAA then wrote to the SGI on Monday formally seeking to pause the process and push out the target date by possibly up to five years. The correspondence proved one obstacle too many for McAleese.
And with her departure, so too goes the 2027 aspiration. It will not now be met.
“I’m absolutely devastated,” she stated. “I’ve given four years of my time to this and four years is a lot.”
McAleese believes the “momentum has faded” for integration within Croke Park and delivered a damning perspective of the GAA top brass.
“I did meet the management committee, and a body, quite frankly, that was less than impressive and very disappointing to me as a long-term GAA supporter to meet a body so lacking in vision for the future of the GAA.
“But it boils down to, in their view, finances, which incidentally we had taken great trouble to meet their concerns [about] and to have answers for their concerns that were more than credible and more than workable.
“But I also suspect, and I hate to say this, but I suspect that there are people who are not entirely happy about the idea of including women in decision making at the top level of Gaelic sports.”
The three fs of finance, facilities and fixtures have been big sticking points in the discussions but McAleese says progress had been made on those fronts.
“They’ve blocked our progress, they’ve blocked our plan and they have no other plan currently.
“I was shocked to hear the current president of the GAA [Jarlath Burns] say [in correspondence] that, in fact, he didn’t really support the idea, having supported it up to now at all our meetings, but that he was in favour of federation.
“Honestly, somewhere in recent months, the leadership is not evident and the commitment to integration has evaporated, in my view.”
On the impact of the fallout, she added: “I’m broken hearted for the players, and in particular I’m broken hearted for the parents of young girls.
“I think of my own daughter who is up to her ears in the local GAA, and the women who have given so much to the GAA, who will see this rightly, in my view, as a slap in the face.”
Camogie Association president Brian Molloy also expressed disappointment there had been a distinct move away from the agreed timeline.
Molloy said: “Like Mary, I too was disappointed with the decision to step back from the agreed goal of one Association by 2027. I believe that while there were significant concerns, none were insurmountable.”
The LGFA said it was surprised by McAleese’s resignation.
“This comes somewhat unexpectedly, given what we understood to be constructive discussions at the latest meeting of the steering group on Monday evening regarding the integration process,” stated the LGFA.
“The LGFA remains fully committed to the integration process and to working with the GAA and Camogie Association on its next steps. We continue to believe that integration represents the best opportunity to strengthen Gaelic games for current and future generations, creating a more unified, inclusive and sustainable structure that will support players, volunteers, clubs and communities across the island.”
The GAA is now to meet the Minister for Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, on Wednesday to explain their part in the unravelling of the integration project.
“We will see what they’re saying and outline our concerns with what we have heard,” the Minister said. “Integration is really important for the Government and remains an absolute priority for me as minister.”
Late on Tuesday night the GAA released a statement that thanked McAleese for her work over the past four years, and also stated:
“The next phase of the project will be to distil the substantial and constructive feedback received from a wide range of stakeholders into a refined set of key principles and structures, and to derive a detailed and sequential workplan, all of which will be advanced in 2027.”
Those next steps will be watched with interest.