GAA will soon officially recognise GPA, predicts Kelly

FORMER GAA President Seán Kelly believes the GAA will grant the Gaelic Players Association official recognition in the near future.

The two groups have been locked in talks with the recognition issue along with the matter of Government grants topping the agenda.

In his weekly column with the Irish Examiner, Kelly said the GAA are keen to develop relations with the GPA given the increasing number of player stand-offs.

Kelly said: “I would expect this to be a fait accompli shortly. The only outstanding real block is funding and that never held up progress in the GAA. I expect that both the GAA and GPA will come to some mutual arrangement re the thorny but not insurmountable issue of money and that Central Council, as they always do, will rubberstamp it on behalf of all of us. Don’t expect a Special Congress on this one – it might give the opportunity for a few agitated souls to turn up and rain on the party.

“A deal will be cut. The strikes by the Cork players will be constantly in the back of the minds of the GAA negotiators. Christy Cooney, being from Cork, and Paraic Duffy the Ard-stúirthóir, saw the Cork players strike up close and personal. They will be well aware of the potential for damage and chaos if it were replicated nationwide. Nobody will want that to happen but that unspoken fear, will roll out the compromise that will lead to the deal that will make the GPA officially recognised.”

Kelly insisted the GAA can do little on grants for inter-county players. “The second area of interest for the GPA is the question of state-funded grants for inter-county players which were introduced last year. Of course, the economic situation is such that if it hadn’t already been sanctioned, there is no way it could be entertained this year. The minister, Martin Cullen, has done well in the circumstances, to even retain €1m for the scheme. But he must forget this mad notion that it’d only go to quarter-finalists of the Liam MacCarthy and Sam Maguire cups and Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard cup finalists... if he only has €1m to give, just give it to the GPA and let them outline exactly who they gave it to – all senior inter-county panellists, I presume, and eliminate the bureaucracy.”