GAA star: It’s no country for young players but I will stay
In bygone years, GAA players had near certain employment. But Tipperary hurler Lar Corbett has spoken out about the lack of work facing young people in his county and throughout Ireland.
He says the dilemma is whether to stay in the place you love or go overseas for grasses greener.
Rural Ireland is losing a flock of talented young GAA stars and on one day last month, 256 international club transfers were approved by the GAA.
The figures paint a grim picture of a country that cannot sustain its young workforce, especially outside of urban areas.
While this means teams in Australia, Canada, New York and London are benefiting and flourishing, at home it poses a great threat to the game.
Despite considering emigration, Corbett has decided to stay put and fight his corner by opening a new business upstairs at Coppinger’s Bar in Thurles.
“Work as an electrician had been on and off for the past 18 months, but over the past few months, things have been very quiet,” he said.
“But even though times are tough I wanted to try and make a go of things. The bar will be a GAA bar and I am nervous about it for the fear of failure but I want to say to other players out there who might be struggling and have an idea to go to the GPA and they will help out in any way they can.”
Over the past year the Gaelic Players Association has rolled out a range of welfare and education programmes in an attempt to assist those facing unemployment and emigration.
“There are a number of lads unemployed and things are very difficult out there. It is very easy to blame people and put onus back on GAA but the work is just not there — they can’t make up jobs.”
