The challenge facing grassroots GAA in a changing Ireland
“Somebody said to me recently it’s easier to get €50 out of a fella now than it is an hour of their time. It’s a fair way of looking at it.”
Cork’s development officer, chairman of the county’s most recent strategic plan, and Midleton stalwart Pat Horgan is talking about the reluctance of people to volunteer. By no means is it exclusive to GAA clubs in urban areas — the farmer is busier than most — but factor in the drain on free time and the greater distractions of life in an Irish town and quickly the urban issue can be as challenging as rural depopulation.
