GAA must tackle urban‘challenge’

THE GAA faces a major challenge in consolidating their strength in urban areas, according to Director-General Páraic Duffy, who writes in his annual report that the ‘inevitable’ outcome of population shifts to the big cities and large towns is that the Association will no longer be Ireland’s leading sports organisation if it is “not popular” in these areas.

Meeting the challenges head on involves not merely having an increased presence through the establishment of new clubs, but being in a position to free up resources to provide the necessary funding, he stresses.

According to Duffy, the number of people now living in urban areas exceeds numbers in rural areas for the first time in the history of the country.

“By 2006, this population gap had increased to over 900,000 in Leinster, where over half the population lives. 75% of people live in urban areas, in Munster 50% of people live in cities and large towns, in Ulster 40% and in Connacht just over 30%. For us it’s (about) participation. We want people playing our games. People can like our games and follow our games but if they are not involved or participating they are not really much use. We want kids playing the games – participation is the one we are trying to drive up.’’

Highlighting the challenges they are facing in urban areas, he explained that the establishment of new clubs was extremely difficult for an organisation built around community and local areas.

“GAA clubs are not essentially groups that are formed to play matches in a public park, they are about a community centre. And that means resources, playing pitches which we own and club premises which we own.

“What we have been trying to do is to expand existing clubs in existing areas. You see it in Dublin where some huge clubs have developed to try and cater for more and more numbers, but establishing new clubs is very difficult and a huge challenge. We would never be complacent where we are but we are in good shape. What we are focusing on here are the challenges and the black spots.”

Duffy’s report also highlights financial concerns for the Association in the context of the “decimation” of the capital budget from the Government for sports facilities. “Many clubs have been forced to scale back, or even abandon plans for infrastructural developments,’’ he said.

And, he made it clear that in the current difficult economic climate, it was clear that counties would have to cut back in the amount of money spent on the preparation of inter-county teams.

It also points out huge steps have been made in the area of Child Protection and Welfare. Since 2008, all personnel working with underage teams have to undertake Child Protection Awareness Workshops and, with the assistance of the Irish Sports Council and the HSE, 55 new GAA tutors received training in the past year to allow them deliver these workshops at club and county level.

The completion of a Garda vetting pilot programme in February for persons working with children in the GAA was the precursor of the commencement of vetting on a national scale, the report adds. “Last year almost 12,000 adult GAA members who work in various roles with underage teams successfully completed their Garda vetting or Access NI vetting applications.”