Conway: GAA have caved in to GPA demands

The GAA have caved in to the demands of the Gaelic Players Association, according to anti-grants campaigner Mark Conway.

The Tyrone native feels that by offering official recognition to the players body, the GAA have allowed a corporate body gain status within the GAA.

He said: "I think it is finally caving in. It just seems that there is nothing that our leadership will actually hold on to.

"We have capitulated on everything. We have capitulated on 'pay for play’ and now on this - not just with official recognition, but also funding it as well."

And Conway is wary of giving GAA funds to an organisation which is structured as a limited company.

"The GPA is a private limited company - the Gaelic Players Management Company Limited. It is owned by three private individuals.

"My understanding is that there are three private shareholders - Brian Whelahan, DJ Carey and Noel Kennelly - none of them are current inter-county players.

"That's the organisation that we are going to give the million-plus euro to. That's the organisation that we are funding by a quarter of a million euro this year.

"It is corporate governance gone crazy and no other organisation would do it.

"It is also making everybody that isn't a GPA member a second class citizen of the GAA world because the GPA have a special status now that is denying the rest of us - that is madness."

Conway is disappointed that official recognition of the GPA has occurred under the watch of GAA President Christy Cooney.

"I am disappointed that this has happened under Christy."

"If it is not our President who has made the decision it begs the question - what does a President do and why do we bother appointing one?

"I suppose an issue that a lot of people would have is that everyone who was involved on our side negotiating is a paid person. There was not a volunteer involved at all from the GAA side.

"I think it is extremely difficult for people to go forward as a paid person and try and hold the role of the volunteer and the voluntary ethos line."

At Saturday's press conference, both Cooney and GPA Chief Executive Dessie Farrell were high in their praise of the time and dedication which Donal Og Cusack gave to the discussions in a voluntary role. Conway echoes these sentiments.

"If Donal Og gave his time as a volunteer, that is brilliant and I'd welcome that and applaud him for it," he added.

"Whatever voluntary work Donal Og puts into the GAA, without him and thousands of other people like him the GAA wouldn't exist.

"We aren't just slowly moving away from that - we are rapidly moving away from...where it is not about the volunteer any more, but increasingly it seems the only thing that matters is what happens from the All-Ireland quarter-finals on."