GAA to discuss use of Nemo by Ireland squad

THE GAA’s Management Committee will discuss the consequences of Nemo Rangers’ decision to open their facilities to the Irish rugby team during the Six Nations championship at their meeting on Saturday.

The Cork city club made the offer when a facility that had been set aside for Declan Kidney’s squad became unavailable due to adverse conditions but the gesture has fallen foul of an association ruling which prohibits the use of GAA premises for rugby and soccer. However, president Christy Cooney said yesterday that Nemo Rangers will not be the only club “under the microscope” and that the entire issue as to who uses what GAA facilities would have to be addressed.

“There is a rule there and we are very clear on our rules with regard to the use of association property and there is no change on that. It is something that we have to monitor and keep an eye on.

“You get insinuations and comments about the use of grounds but I think it is on a very limited basis, to be honest, if it is being abused at all but it is something that we need to look at very closely before we come out to condemn or criticise. We have to be satisfied of the facts in the general club scene. I won’t make a knee-jerk, national statement condemning the situation without being able to be satisfied that they are the facts.

“We have had a lot of ambitious programmes put in place during the Celtic Tiger and, like any organisation, clubs are having their own challenges in managing their affairs so we have to look at how we deal with that moving forward.”

The use of Croke Park has come in for more speculation than any other GAA facility and Cooney suggested that this year’s NFL final will, in all likelihood, be hosted at the venue yet again.

Thurles is also the most likely venue for the NHL decider although the CCCC has yet to make any decision on either fixture and competing teams will be taken into account before that is done.

Meanwhile, a decision on who will manage the Irish International Rules team later this year will be announced next year while it has been confirmed that a decision on the future of the Interprovincial championship will be made next month.