Jarlath Burns: GAA shouldn't shy away from backing united Ireland

UNITED: Newly elected GAA President Jarlath Burns (Armagh). Pic: INPHO/Morgan Treacy

GAA president-elect Jarlath Burns says the organisation shouldn’t shy away from expressing its hope for a united Ireland.

Four years after first arguing that the GAA should not remain neutral in a future poll, Burns reiterated his belief that it is not unreasonable for the association to take a position.

“I have taken a back seat in all of those debates because I felt that if I am going to be representing the GAA. As I said in there (Congress hall), we have to do it very responsibly and in a way that takes consideration of the inclusive nature of the association.

“In the climate where there would be a border poll called, it would be incumbent on all civic organisations to take a position on it, and it wouldn’t be shock therapy to anybody to hear that the GAA, who have always ignored partition very honourably, would want to see a united Ireland.

“That is my dream and it is not a subversive dream to have. It is a very valid perspective, particularly in the context of Brexit but we would have to do it very responsibly. If you look even at the last independence referendum in Scotland, both Celtic and Rangers, two big sporting organisations in that country took a position on independence.

“I don’t think it would be unreasonable of us to say that we would want to see our land united because even practically it doesn’t work, partition.” 

While Rule 1.2 of the Official Guide states the GAA “has as its basic aim the strengthening of the National Identity in a 32-County Ireland through the preservation and promotion of Gaelic Games and pastimes”, the association have shied away from political issues in recent years.

Burns, who will next February become the second ever Armagh man to take the GAA presidency, stated during his campaign that he was determined to distill and enshrine the amateur status. He fully intends to follow up on that objective.

“Every county I went into they are telling me they are overwhelmed by the amount of money that they are having to spend. That is giving us a tremendous dividend because if you look at the high-performance culture that exists within our, particularly Division 1 and 2 teams. You don't want to be seen as a Luddite to be pulling that back but you have to remember we do have an amateur status.

“And if you look at the amateur status that exists in American universities, they are very robust in protecting that. And I don't think we are protecting it strongly enough with regard to the number of times we are asking our players to train, their cardiovascular load and the number of backroom teams, the size of panels.

“I really want to work with the GPA, as the representatives of the players, to try and find a proper balance that means that counties can run a county team but they can also then build infrastructure that they need to.

“Every county I went into, they either have to do a serious job on their stadium or build a centre of excellence. A lot of them are finding it overwhelming. Whenever you read the chairman's booklet and there is one to be a county chairman, nowhere does it say that you have to engage in a multi-million infrastructure project rebuilding a stadium. I want to be proactive in that. I want to give serious assistance to all those counties.” 

Burns believes the GAA will need assistance in terms of land to develop new pitches for its pending integration with the Ladies Gaelic Football and Camogie Associations.

“One thing that I did find going around our country is that there is a serious lack of places to play our games. 140 years from the inception of our Association (in 2024), if that’s the biggest crisis that we have, isn’t that a wonderful place where we are.

“If we are going to divide our assets in three which is what we would be doing with integration and rightfully so I think it would need to come with a massive injection of facilities for us.” 

The Armagh man said the GAA should not have to increase its original £15 million commitment to the reconstruction of Casement Park as it was billed as “a stadium for all” and any shortfall should come from local government sources.