GAA facing flood of safeguarding complaints, warns leading solicitor

Solicitor Conor Sally says rules go beyond keeping members safe from harm

Conor Sally, Tyrone GAA fixtures analyst and solicitor. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

A leading solicitor has warned the GAA is facing a deluge of complaints arising from its ill-suited and excessive child and adult safeguarding rules.

Conor Sally, Tyrone GAA fixtures analyst and chairman of Omagh St Enda’s the previous seven years, envisages fixture hold-ups and a myriad of other appeals because the GAA has made it mandatory to “respect their rights, wishes and feelings” of members.

In front of the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) in October, Sally represented Monaghan club Corduff in a child safeguarding case. A minor footballer was due to play an U18 game on October 5, the day after he was lining out for the seniors’ championship game against Magheracloone.

Citing Rule 1.11 (b) of the GAA’s Official Guide, which states the GAA “shall respect their (U18s) rights, wishes and feelings”, Sally made a successful argument and the minor game with Donaghmoyne was postponed.

At Congress last February, a motion ensuring the same courtesies for those over the age of 18 was passed, which Sally claims further exposes the GAA to a series of objections.

“The Association have set their volunteer members up to fail by having these rules in place, which are not backed up with proper procedures to enable them to fulfil their roles,” maintains Sally.

“We have left ourselves completely open for floodgate complaints. Because this isn't limited anymore to bullying, it's not limited to physical abuse, mental abuse. This is now open to the wishes and feelings of the person.

“So, if you don't like the temperature of the changing room and your club rooms, if you don't like the colour of your shorts, if you don't like the coach that's coaching you because you have a personality clash, the Association have said, ‘Don't worry, we'll respect your wishes and feelings, we'll fix that for you.’ 

“And the question is, who's going to fix it? And I suppose in the recent case that I dealt with, when a child had an issue in relation to a fixture clash, that went to a children's officer. It went to a county coiste bainisti (management committee).

“It went to the head of safeguarding in Croke Park. It went to the head of player welfare in Croke Park. And then it went to the DRA because the system didn't allow it to be sorted for many of those groups.

“So, if you look at a regular fixture clash, it would go to the county board, the head of safeguarding and the head of player welfare. And then the DRA. That's just one. Imagine 10 issues like that arise in Ireland in any given week across our couple of thousand units. Where are they going to get fixed? Where are they going to get resolved?

“It's all brilliant bringing in a rule like we did at Congress or bringing in a very strong message of child protection. We have a code of behaviour and child protection and it looks a fancy brochure with maybe 60 or 70 pages in it. But it's not fit for purpose because it doesn't do what the rules say it must do.” 

Sally feels the GAA have made a rod for themselves by virtue signalling and over-reaching. He suspects up to 500 social workers would be required to ensure the adult safeguarding rule as it reads is applied.

“Volunteers will not be able to cope with it,” he stresses and continues: “Within the Official Guide, what we have is protecting children from all forms of abuse, which is mandatory and should be and should always be. But we've also got respecting the wishes and feelings of the child.

“Now that's not mandatory within the family courts. Because if wee Johnny wants to live with Mummy, the courts just don't say, ‘There you go’. Whereas within the GAA, if wee Johnny wants a fixture on a particular evening to facilitate his mental health and wellbeing and wishes and feelings, we've said we're going to facilitate that.” 

Last year’s adult safeguarding motion was precipitated by former Derry manager Rory Gallagher’s DRA case where he was successful in having his temporary debarring order removed in February 2024.

The Fermanagh man had been precluded from coaching by the Ulster Council as they commissioned a safeguarding panel to look into domestic abuse allegations made against Gallagher.

“There was a distinct uncomfortableness with me last year when at Congress Croke Park effectively tried to tidy up the Rory Gallagher DRA case by bringing in adult safeguarding,” says Sally. “I had serious concerns about one, the necessity for that, given the fact that for decades we have survived without adult safeguard mechanisms and done quite well.

“And secondly, I would have a strongly-held belief that if you look at Irish society over the last 50 or 60 years, when you look at child safeguarding, I would submit that the Association have been excellent and done brilliantly, particularly when we look at other similar organisations.” 

Sally hopes the GAA can see sense to amend the rules at Congress next month. “We’re trying to be all things to everybody. We seem to be pushing things through just for the sake of it. Whereas in fact with safeguarding we are trying to fly an airplane and we haven’t finished building the thing.

“This isn't saying this to alarm people or to entice people to say ‘you can challenge this’. Congress is coming up. Let’s have child and adult safeguarding for what it’s supposed to be, protecting children and adults from harm and not making it mandatory that we look after the wishes and feelings of every child and adult in the Association.”