Irish emigrants to reap unexpected dividend

THE GAA’s commitment to their overseas units — with over 400 clubs outside of Ireland — is set to reap an unexpected dividend as a consequence of the serious downturn in the economy, Nickey Brennan believes.

Pointing out that with government backing they had been able to devote considerable funding to coaching personnel and infrastructural development, he said: “little did we think that when we started that three years ago how our economy was going to go and how the GAA abroad is so important now to the young Irish people and maybe not so young who have to head off to foreign lands.”

People forced to emigrate can network through playing Gaelic games just like they at home, he added.

“I have to say that the work we have done through the leadership of Sheamus Howlin (Chairman of the Overseas Group) is now really coming into its own. Right now we have people ringing up clubs around the world looking to see what opportunities they might have out there, can they go, can they get them a job, and will they be able to sort out accommodation.!

“Every one of our counties has played their part in developing the Association, in helping to give identity and community spirit to everybody who was involved and that is certainly something we can be very proud of.

“Over the past couple of years as we have had visitors from outside our Association in Croke Park, I had the opportunity to meet many people high up in other organisations and not just the sporting side, but political and otherwise from different parts of Europe. And they wonder how the GAA, given its amateur ethos and amateur status, could survive and thrive when pitted against international sports of rugby and soccer which have wall-to-wall television and huge media coverage.

“We explain to them the philosophy behind the GAA, that we are community-based, that people play with the club they grow up with and no matter how bad things are you stay loyal to your own and how as an organisation we embrace the whole family as part of our Association. They look at Croke Park and wonder where this came out of and you explain how we managed to fund it. They are in awe of what our Association has achieved — because there is no model in the whole world of sport to compare to the GAA. That is why it’s so important for us to take pride in what we have achieved!.”

While offering the reassurance that money (close to e30m) generated through the renting of Croke Park for rugby and soccer had been ring-fenced for infrastructural developments around the country, the President said that there will need to be a re-appraisal of how the money is allocated in the light of the current economic climate.

However, he stressed that the funding will be used for nothing else and that every cent taken in will be spent around the provinces. “That will not change, but I do think we need to re-look at what was going to happen. Unfortunately the ‘Sports Capital Programme’ is on hold now for three years at least and that changes the picture.”