Fermanagh chairman backs anti-grants movement

Fermanagh GAA chairman Peter Carty firmly expressed his support to the anti-government grants movement at a public meeting last night in Cavan.

Carty was concerned about whether or not any ratification or indeed discussion has taken place by the Central Council, although GAA President Nickey Brennan and other top level officials have stated that there is uniformity among the top-brass.

"I've great concern over how it happened," Carthy said.

"I've yet to see the minutes of any meeting from Central Council to see where it was ever discussed and I feel very strongly about that."

The recently re-elected chairman believes that there may be some mistruths in relation to the decision taken by Central Council delegates in relation to the grants issue.

"Rumour is that the Central Council delegates gave a unanimous decision and that is one issue I would be questioning very much.

"The issue is that we get this to the GAA Congress floor at all costs. I know that we as a county are putting a motion forward.

"I don't want to see a case that we would be splitting the association but I am demanding sensible debate."

Club Derry member Seamus Mullan was firm in his belief that Government grants mean pay-for-play for the GAA, but also expressed his concern that the GPA are touting themselves as becoming an official part of the Association in the near future.

"I see that this is pay-for-play. I have no doubt in my mind that this will fundamentally change the direction of the GAA," Mullan said.

"Once this comes we are creating a division between club and county players and developing an elitist approach that will fundamentally damage the Association.

"Also the GPA website makes for very interesting reading, when you finish reading it you would think they will be running the GAA in the near future.

"They say they are not a trade union movement yet on their website they state that 'the GAA must recognise the GPA as a matter of urgency' and that they 'must negotiate a collective bargaining agreement.'"

Mullan also expressed his view that this issue is not just one for GAA members in the 32 counties but further afield also.

"This is pay-for-play but the fundamental issue is that this hasn't been dealt with democratically by the GAA across the world. Do they not have a voice, should their views not count? I think so.

"If the GPA are to be recognised officially, that should only be decided upon at congress if they are to become the fundamentally recognised players body."

Brendan Holland, a GAA club member from Tyrone, spoke from the heart at the meeting and expressed the view that GAA has cemented communities together for the past 40 years in the North.

"The GAA has become the social glue that has kept our communities together," he said.

"It's the only organisation that could do that and have an opportunity every weekend to do that, however I realise the spirit of volunteerism is a diminishing one in this Celtic Tiger era."

Grassroots members from 11 counties were represented at the meeting and with at least four counties including Fermanagh, Tyrone, Derry and Armagh, putting motions forward in opposition to the grants, it is clear that this issue is not going to go away.