It has been a week like no other for the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association as the ambition of integration became a political sliotar to be pucked around the corridors of Government buildings.
But a world away from all the accusations and filibustering, hundreds of pitches in hundreds of clubs right across the country continued to hum to the tune of excited kids playing Gaelic games as shrieking whistles went unheeded.
For all its faults, the GAA remains a thriving grassroots organisation. And while some in the upper echelons of the association might have been busy putting up barriers this week, in parishes across Ireland club members have been busy for years now finding a way to make integration work in their community.
There are just under 800 clubs already operating a one-club model, many creating a bespoke version to fit their needs. The rank and file have found a way – that is why integration is inevitable, because much of it is already in place. There is no going back.
The Irish Times talked with a club in each of the four provinces to get a temperature check on integration and to seek their views on events of the past week.
Ulster
Ciaran McCavana (St Enda’s, Glengormley, Antrim; former club chair and county chair; current senior football manager)
Does your club operate a one-club model and is it working?
Yes, and it works 100 per cent. It works because it’s one entity. To explain to parents coming to our club that the LGFA and Camogie are separate entities is just baffling to them. At St Enda’s everyone is equal. It’s that simple. Anyone I’ve spoken to in a one-club model, it just works. It’s common sense.
What are the challenges with the one-club model?
You have too many volunteers attending meetings because of the three bodies. In terms of GAA membership renewal, I have two daughters who were under-14 and I just ticked “GAA membership” – but after that you have to set them up as members of the LGFA and the Camogie Association and parents can’t understand that. We have close to 1,000 members and are one of the biggest clubs in Ulster. Whether it’s camogie, hurling, football or ladies football, you’re treated like any other team of St Enda’s.
Are you disappointed by the delay to the overall integration process?
Yes, I’m very disappointed. I thought the 2027 deadline for GAA integration was realistic if everyone put their shoulder to the wheel. It just needs to be done, and I don’t think it’s that complicated.
What do you see as the single biggest obstacle facing integration?
Two obstacles. Vested interests and people using financial expenditure as an excuse for it not to happen. It’s the cost of bringing parity of esteem between male and female intercounty players. I understand the cost issue, but the various stakeholders involved should find a solution.
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If there is €45 million spent on county teams, then divide it up, cut your cloth. Look at other ways to raise revenue to help ease the transition to integration.
For example, can we put a 5 per cent levy on ticket prices? It would go towards bringing ladies football and camogie up to parity of esteem.
And explain the reason for the levy to people – “Your ticket is no longer £100 (€116.53); it’s £105 and it’s a levy to make integration happen.”
Let’s create a process of positive discrimination for a five-year period to make integration successful. Ask sponsors to contribute to what is effectively an equality issue.
I was county chair for five years (including the Covid period) and I can see where savings could be made. I was guilty of it myself: the more money we brought in, the more we spent on county teams.
Players are given so much gear that their houses must be coming down with it. I know the GAA can trim a lot of fat, especially at intercounty level.
If we want integration, it may mean lowering the [financial] bar of others to accommodate it.
A lot of teams – and I’m including county development, minor and under-20s here – are overstaffed.
The Covid period was instructive where we reduced squad sizes and backroom teams. All this can be stripped back again.
The various bodies also need to get away from this fiefdom mentality. In business parlance, there is no such thing as a merger or an acquisition – it’s a hostile takeover or a friendly takeover.
The GAA here is by far the dominant party and has all the assets. The stumbling block is at county level. But why can’t we sort out everything beneath that now and address the expenditure issue of county teams later? At least that way the process begins.
When do you think integration will actually happen?
I now think 2029 is a more realistic time frame and I think the GAA will start to move towards it.
Leinster
Richard Corbally (Chairman of Kilmainhamwood, Co Meath)
Does your club operate a one-club model and is it working?
Yes, we have it in place now three or four years and it has been working well. As you’d expect there were some minor teething issues at the start. I think the insurance was higher on the women’s side so we had to look at membership costs after the first year, but there have been no major problems. What we’ve actually seen is that the one club model has brought some men back to the club because their girlfriend or wife is playing on the ladies team. Overall, I’d have to say it has been very positive for the locality.
What are the challenges with the one-club model?
The main issue that crops up time and time again is in relation to facilities – what time the girls get to play at, what time the boys get to train at, what day games are fixed for teams? There is a lot of planning around the scheduling of pitches and trying to make sure proper communication takes place to ensure a boys’ team doesn’t arrive down to train at a certain time and find the ladies team are actually playing a game.
Are you disappointed by the delay to the overall integration process?
I definitely am. I have a lot of time for Mary McAleese, she was quite a good president and I’ve always thought she was a very reasonable person. So, to be honest, if she’s this disgusted by the lack of progress, I would take heed of what she’s saying. Yes, it is disappointing.
What do you see as the single biggest obstacle facing integration?
Finance is the issue that seems to be coming up a lot and that appears to be a significant obstacle. I’m not sure it should be euro for euro when it comes to funding intercounty teams, but I would have concerns for the ladies game generally. The exodus of high-profile players leaving to play AFLW in Australia looks to have had a negative impact on the standard of the intercounty game.
When do you think integration will actually happen?
I don’t think anybody knows and given what has happened this week, it would be foolish to even hazard a guess. However, I would make the point that aside from the integration of the three associations, I believe these is another integration challenge and that’s for the three organisations to find a way to attract more of the new Irish, who have moved here in recent years, to get involved in Gaelic games.
Munster
Suzanne O’Sullivan (Bishopstown GAA chairperson)
Does your club operate a one-club model and is it working?
Yes, we do. And yes, it is absolutely working. It came in 2019 for our club. I believe we were one of the first to do it and it’s working extremely well. We have over 2,000 members across GAA, LGFA and Camogie and it has been a big help in terms of catering for everyone locally. What we would feel came out of it is that all sections of the club have a shared identity and one common purpose.
What are the challenges with the one-club model?
I would say the challenge is not so much with the concept of the one club model itself, but there are issues around structures that sit above clubs, particularly around membership, insurance and the general administration that is required and which is dictated from above us. It’s working well on the ground but for any club trying to integrate it, that admin workload takes a huge amount of time.
Are you disappointed by the delay to the overall integration process?
Yes, but for us, it doesn’t really make any massive difference on the ground, day to day, because we’ve operated the one club model for a long time, we’ve lived it for a long while now, and we know it works extremely well and we see the benefits. I would appreciate that integration at national level is quite complex and that there are significant issues and challenges there. At the same time, I hope the momentum that was there hasn’t been lost.
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What do you see as the single biggest obstacle facing integration?
I would have thought that the membership issue, in terms of putting it all into one single membership, one insurance company, all that sort of stuff was going to be a big challenge. But from what I’m reading in the media, that doesn’t seem to be the major issue. A lot of that is more or less sorted. I think the structures nationally just haven’t caught up with the clubs, and what’s actually happening on the ground, every day, all around the country.
When do you think integration will actually happen?
I hope it’s sooner rather than later but I’d also say that it’s more important to get this right than to simply meet a date. Clearly, there is still work to be done at national level. At ground level, we’re ready. Bishopstown and plenty of other clubs are already operating and living the integration model.
Connacht
Anonymous (Secretary of an LGFA club in Galway)
Does your club operate a one club model and is it working?
We are not integrated yet, no.
What are the challenges with the one club model?
It’s getting people aligned on what needs to be done for it. In our case we have a shared ground so that helps but it’s getting people focused on the fact that it’s better for everybody if the clubs combine.
Are you disappointed by the delay to the overall integration process?
Absolutely. Personally I am, I think it’s terrible. If Mary McAleese is coming out with what she’s saying, it’s a really poor reflection on people who are leading things within the GAA. I’m disappointed that it seems so far away from happening.
Is my opinion the norm? I would say that’s mixed to be honest, some people are for integration and there are others who are not. I don’t understand the full reasons why they wouldn’t want it but I know not everybody is in favour of joining up. That’s on both the GAA side and the LGFA side.
What do you see as the single biggest obstacle facing integration?
People feel like they’re losing control of what they have. They need to think of all kids coming up, it’s in their best interests to combine resources. That’s financial, that’s volunteer resources, we need to let go of what has happened in the past and focus on combining things for the future.
When do you think integration will actually happen?
I’d say we are, like, three years away from it at a minimum. That’s with getting everyone around a table. There’s a lot to be done.
– Additional reporting from Paul Keane, Brendan Crossan and Paul Fitzpatrick