Drop the GAA’s deadwood, declares angry Lynch

FORMER GAA PRO Danny Lynch has warned the association is at risk of neglecting their core strengths by continuing to facilitate peripheral activities such as rounders, handball and scór.

Dingle native Lynch, who stepped down from his Croke Park position in 2009, is concerned the GAA is taking its eye “off the ball” by accommodating what he views as minority pursuits, which he insists are “ego trips for a small group of people”.

“The GAA tries to be all things to all people and react to each and every pressure point from where it comes from, no matter how small the source of it is,” said Lynch.

“The GAA would be better served if it concentrated on its core strengths, the two field games. The GAA shouldn’t be embracing things like rounders or handball, ego trips for a small group of people.

“Likewise, we’ve seen the number of quangos established by the Government to deal with the Irish language.

“Yet the GAA seems to have this inherent responsibility to do the same.

“It’s the same with the unemployment issue and rural isolation. The GAA is attempting to tackle that despite all the Government bodies whose duty it is to tackle it.”

Scór contestants provide the vocals for the national anthem at several inter-county games outside Croke Park. However, Lynch is adamant the body holds too much sway in the Association.

“Scór, Irish music and the culture end of it is all really fine but it is the hobby of a few on the back of the GAA,” he blasted.

“You have GAA presidents going around the country feeling pressurised playing a quasi-political view and having to bend to Scór people.

“It used to be part of the scenario in Congress for years that Scór did the entertainment but they went away from that.”

Lynch also counters strongly against the GAA’s need to explain itself for accepting sponsorship from alcohol companies such as Guinness.

“There’s this incessant lobby against it from a minority pressure point and no other sporting organisation in the country feels they have to justify it other than the GAA. On a point of holding the moral high ground, the GAA shouldn’t react to such criticism.”