Eamon O'Shea: Don't fear change - there are many ways to belong in the GAA

In 1984, I rocked up to my first Crumlin hurling training session on a bicycle my father had used for 30 years to traverse the country roads around Cloughjordan in Tipperary.

Crumlin take on Kilmacud Crokes in a league match. Pic: Crumlin GAA

There is some alarm currently about the viability of rural GAA clubs in some counties due to population decline. And conversely there is pressure on GAA clubs in urban areas due to population growth.

This is an important issue for the GAA and one that we have ignored for too long. Part of the reason for that is an over-emphasis on the physical dimension of place and attachment and our natural desire for things to stay the same.