Club before county: old winning formula is best

THE strike called by the Gaelic Players’ Association presents the GAA with a unique opportunity of reverting to its roots.

For some years after the GAA’s foundation, the club championship was the premier competition. During those years, clubs like Dromtariffe, Clondrohid, Aghabullogue, Dungourney, Laune Rangers, Toomevara, Moycarkey, Mooncoin and Tullaroan became nationally famous.

In recent years, the clubs appear to have become the poor relations of the GAA. There is now a ludicrous situation where if even one member of a club is on the county panel, club championships are held up for weeks and sometimes even months.

The GAA now has an opportunity of abandoning inter-county competitions. It should replace them by elevating the club championships as its major showpiece. As well as senior, the intermediate and junior competitions should also be given important status.

The GAA should never concede pay-for-play either through the front or back door. If it was crazy enough to concede this, then it would be the beginning of the end of the GAA. In a comparatively short time the association would be riven by jealousy and greed. It is high time the clubs made their voices heard on those vital issues. They have been silent for far too long.

Michael O’Connor

Kilvoultra

Clondrohid

Macroom

Co Cork