GAA director general Tom Ryan has rejected accusations of misogyny “in the strongest possible terms” after it was revealed the integration of Gaelic games’ three bodies will not happen in 2027.

Ryan said a failure to reach agreement on “organisational structures” is the main reason behind the delay in the process.

Dr Mary McAleese, the former President of Ireland, yesterday stood down as chairperson of the Integration Committee overseeing the amalgamation of the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association.

McAleese cited changes to agreed timelines, a GAA management committee that she described as “less than impressive”, and her feeling that there were “people who are not entirely happy about the idea of including women in decision-making at the top level of Gaelic sports” who were holding the process back.

“I can’t accept that, I would refute that in the strongest possible terms,” Ryan said when asked about accusations that the delays are built on misogyny.

“I accept in the course of a project like this, there will be different perspectives and different points of view, and that’s fine.

“But I can’t accept that (misogyny) as a charge. I’m very, very proud to be part of the GAA and I’m proud of what it is and does.

“It’s an inclusive organisation, it’s a family-oriented organisation and it’s a progressive organisation.

“In leadership terms, both nationally and locally, there are countless women who play a huge part in guiding and driving the organisation.

“Upwards of 30% of members of club executives are female today in the GAA. Upwards of 30% of our clubs are operated on what we call the ‘one club model’, which means that that’s an outfit that promotes all codes equally.”

The departure of McAleese is a blow to the process of amalgamating the three bodies, with Ryan unable to say when the project might now be completed, adding the deadline that the GAA had set themselves to complete the project was “too ambitious”.

“We have proposals around a common membership and organisational structures,” Ryan said when asked what were the obstacles standing in the way of integration.

“The membership piece is ready and the structures piece is not.

“People might remember we arrived at what we thought would be a good looking structure. We brought that around the country at a series of roadshows before the summer.

“The feedback from that – from members and delegates – was people wanted us to revise those, to look again at that and to do another pass.

“So we’re still in the middle of that exercise.

“In order for the thing to work, you’d have to propose both together. It’s very difficult to envisage a common membership when you don’t know precisely the shape of the organisation that you’re going to be a member of, hence the delay.”

Asked what specific organisational structures were proving problematic for some GAA members, Ryan said: “… composition of boards, delegated authorities, powers of Congress.”

While Ryan wouldn’t commit to a specific date for implementation of any integration proposals, he did confirm that the GAA planned to continue working towards the ideal.

But he said that any implementation would have to happen over a period of time, rather than all at once.

“I can’t offer a precise timetable and I’d have to take my directions, GAA-wise, from our own membership and central councils,” he said.

“What I know for certain is the membership proposals are ready and the structures that I talked about can certainly be refined and finalised next year.

“I can certainly envisage presenting those proposals next year. A key element, though, will be a phased implementation.”

Listen to GAA director general Tom Ryan’s full interview with RTÉ’s Morning Ireland below

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