GAA set to expand worldwide, TDs told

Ireland’s national games could be played by thousands of South African-born players “within a short number of years”, due to the potential global interest in the sports.

The eye-catching prediction was made by GAA president Liam O’Neill during a two-hour meeting with the Dáil’s communications committee over its divisive Sky Sports deal yesterday.

Defending the organisation’s plan to allow the channel to have exclusive rights to 14 inter-county games a year between now and 2017, the senior official said the move is solely about the Irish diaspora’s best interests.