Burns says GAA must put player safety first

JARLATH BURNS has warned that the GAA is not doing enough to safeguard the health of inter-county footballers and hurlers and has called on the association to purchase at least one mobile screening unit.

The former Armagh captain is a member of the Medical, Scientific and Welfare Committee set up last April but revealed this week that it has yet to meet since its inception.

The committee’s brief includes advising the GAA on medical issues relating to players, including the evaluation and implementation of evidence-based medical screening programmes.

Burns admitted to being surprised by the inactivity of the committee and said at least one mobile unit, costing roughly e1 million, should be made available as quickly as possible.

Considering the finance the GAA is generating, such ambitions would be feasible, he claimed, and said each provincial council should give serious consideration to buying a unit each.

“These units should be made available to everyone in the GAA but initially for inter-county players,” he said.

“These guys put their lives on pause for their games and that level of commitment can take its toll on people if they are not perfectly healthy to begin with.”

Burns was speaking at a Campa Chormaic GAA forum in Armagh city, set up last year to provide a testament to the memory of Tyrone captain Cormac McAnallen who died of a rare viral infection of the heart in 2003.

Since then, all Tyrone players have been screened every year and a similar programme in Kilkenny detected issues of concern with Conor Phelan and Noel Hickey.

Burns believes every player promoted to a county squad should be screened and urged the GAA to take a more proactive stance on the matter.

“There is a very disturbing line of silence coming from Croke Park on this,” he said.

“I would hate to think that it’s a silence based on financial principles.”

“You used to look at a player and ask is he good enough for county level. The difference now is that you need to ask the next question — the life and death question. We should ensure that what happened to Cormac never happens again.”

Burns was supported by Tyrone manager Mickey Harte, who praised Cormac’s parents Brendan and Bridget for keeping the issue in the public eye over the last three years.

“There’s no price on life,” said Harte. “Whatever it takes to save lives should be done.”