Tracey Kennedy raises GAA gender balance concerns as she leaves Cork chair

Outgoing Cork GAA chair Tracey Kennedy. Picture: Cathal Noonan

Outgoing Cork County Board chairperson Tracey Kennedy has said the “GAA, as an association, leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to gender balance”.

Kennedy’s three-year term as the first female chairperson of Cork GAA concluded yesterday evening, her final address to delegates expressing regret that the county board executive will not contain a single female officer in 2021.

“We talk a lot about integration, and there’s much discussion at the moment about the necessity for our men’s and women’s games to be run by one national body, which I firmly believe is the case, but the GAA itself, as an association, leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to gender balance,” said Kennedy.

“As clubs and as a county, we need to look at what we can do to encourage more women to take on leadership roles. We need to be more proactive in our recruitment of women, and other minority groups, if we truly want to call ourselves a community organisation.

"I am sorry that I was not able to do more on this during my term, and while we have certainly made huge progress in our relationships with camogie and ladies’ football at local level, we are a long way from achieving diversity.”

Citing the failure of the Páirc Uí Chaoimh pitch in early 2019 as one of the “lowest points” of her “turbulent term”, Kennedy said a highlight of 2020 was “the success of the new pitch”.

Incoming Cork County Board chairman Marc Sheehan, in his first address at yesterday evening’s online convention, described Cork’s financial position as “precarious”.

Cork GAA’s bank debt at the end of October stood at €21.6m, with €11.98m owed to Croke Park.

“Our financial position is precarious and similar to most other county units and clubs, we face a significant challenge in the year ahead. Let there be no doubt that this remains a top priority for the incoming executive,” Sheehan remarked.

The new chairman said concerns raised regarding the recently launched Rebels Bounty draw are “understandable in the main”, but stressed the importance of making this new fundraising initiative a success.

Cork GAA yesterday confirmed a one-off U18 competition will be organised next year to cater for the players who would otherwise have been left idle as a result of U17 replacing U18 as the new minor age-grade at club level.

Aghabullogue native Sheehan said a detailed debate must take place in 2021 as to what age-grades Cork persist with from 2022 onward in bridging the gap between juvenile and adult level.

“As a former chairman of Rebel Óg, I am acutely aware of the need to develop a proper player activity pathway from Rebel Óg to adult player and the need to raise club coaching standards to positively influence our games, our intercounty performance, and to encourage club investment in long-term coach resources and education.”