Kerry Gaelic football throne ‘under threat’ from rural planning policy
Prominent GAA figures in the county that has more All-Ireland football titles than any other, at 34, warned some parishes may soon find it impossible to field teams because of depopulation.
Former East Kerry GAA chairman John Kelly, from Killarney, yesterday said difficulties experienced by young couples in getting planning for one-off houses in the countryside were adding to problems.
Clubs had invested millions of euro in providing excellent playing facilities for their members, which greatly enhanced the quality of life in rural areas, he said.
But, unless planning permission was granted to more people wishing to live in these areas, that investment could go to waste in the future, Mr Kelly warned.
Several All-Ireland winning Kerry captains in recent years, including Seamus Moynihan, Dara Ó Cinnéide and Declan O’Sullivan, came from rural clubs.
“Sociologists will tell you we have a tradition in rural Ireland that we want to live where we have lived all our lives. Those who wish to live in rural areas should be able to make that dream a reality,” said Mr Kelly, who has had a lifetime involvement in the GAA and several other organisations.
“There’s a great parish identity, with the GAA and other sporting organisations providing wonderful facilities at every level in every parish in the 32 counties. In my experience, people are often keen to move to rural parishes to avail of these facilities.”
He said it was better for people to live in rural areas that still had a strong sense of community, rather than having local authorities forcing people to live in anonymous housing estates in towns.
West Kerry community activist Bridget O’Connor said many parishes were reporting difficulties in getting out teams.
“There are fewer and fewer young people in rural areas now. The local parish team may soon be a thing of the past,” said Ms O’Connor who recently led a group to Brussels to highlight planning issues in rural Kerry.
Well-known GAA personalities, such as Munster Council chairman Seán Fogarty and Páidí Ó Sé, have been invited to attend a meeting of the Irish Rural Dwellers’ Association, at the Fels Point Hotel, Tralee, next Monday night.
One of the key issues to be debated will be one-off housing.
