Dublin urged to embrace ‘new Irish’ to achieve success

THE GAA in Dublin must encourage the participation of non-nationals if it is to realise its potential, warns County Secretary John Costello in his annual report.

While there has been a significant — and welcome — broadening of cultural diversity in the country in recent years, he highlights the need for this to be embraced.

“This is something we (must) do — not just talk about, said Costello. “For the GAA to grow — and to ensure it maintains its pre-eminent position in Irish society — it must nurture and embrace this diversity and encourage the “new Irish” to actively get involved in our games. This can only be to everyone’s benefit in the longer-term.”

Mr Costello points out that the preliminary census figures for 2006 show that the population of Dublin has increased by over 12% over the last decade to a figure 1,186,159 — representing a cumulative increase of 127,895.

Preliminary figures also indicate the population of the greater Dublin area (comprising Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow) has increased 18.18% — 1,661,185 — over the same period. And, the expectation is that the population for the ‘Greater Dublin Region’ could be as high as 1.75m. people by 2010.

“If these increases materialise, this would be an increase in excess of 100,000 people over a four-year period. These statistics demonstrate that the association — both at Central Council and Provincial Council — must examine ways to assist counties with large population increases to advance and grow the games in these counties."

In his view, this pace of development requires an integrated action plan involving the counties, Central Council and the Leinster Council.

“It is only through a co-ordinated approach in the planning and financing of action plans will these counties be able to fund the necessary infrastructural and coaching development programmes necessary to grow the Dublin area — which accounts for 39% of the population of the state.

“Considerable progress has been achieved over the past three years in meeting these demographic challenges, which together with changing lifestyles, have significantly altered the social landscape we operate in. These changes require that we continue to utilise and maximise the input of the voluntary mentors and officers within clubs who are at the core of our existence.

“However, within Dublin there are areas that are bereft of the traditional source of GAA volunteers. Indeed, in some primary school classes there are no children with a parent of Irish ancestry.

“These challenges must be addressed as opportunities as we would be failing in our responsibilities to our predecessors and to future generations if we were to allow a situation where considerable areas of Dublin were denied the opportunity to play our national games."