Director general Ryan insists GAA must be mindful of 'where our responsibilities begin and end'

Ard Stiúrthóir of the GAA Tom Ryan. Pic: Nick Elliott/Inpho

GAA director general Tom Ryan says the organisation have to be mindful of “where our responsibilities begin and end”.

As a march has been arranged on Saturday to protest the GAA’s continued relationship with Allianz, Ryan addressed the decision by the GAA to retain their commercial relationship with the global insurance company.

The protest, involving the likes of former Dublin and Meath footballers David Hickey and Colm O’Rourke, has been arranged to take place from Gill’s pub on the North Circular Road to Croke Park as Congress takes place.

A UN-commissioned report last year found a subsidiary of Allianz to be complicit in the genocide in Gaza as they purchased Israeli war bonds.

The GAA’s ethics and integrity commission found Allianz plc had no direct link with “the Israeli Defence Forces or corporate entities involved in the war in Gaza”. 

The GAA endorsed their recommendation not to sever the relationship.

Discussing his annual report in Congress on Friday night, Ryan said he was not “going to speak about the appalling situation in Palestine. Everybody in this room is a decent and right-minded person and everybody decries those events.

“Likewise, I’m not going to speak about the merits or otherwise of Allianz as a partner, I take that for granted, everybody knows that too.” 

He focused on what he described as “the principle of the GAA’s role in the broader scheme of things in society when it comes to issues like this”.

He said: “I do think we need to bear in mind where our responsibilities begin and end as an organisation. We are motivated by the right things and we do want to do the right things and we are a force for good in communities and all that is really important.

“I know there are other issues in the world and they are actually more important issues than whether we play an All-Ireland final in August or July, there are a lot more important things to be considered. But there are other organisations and other agencies society trusts in managing those issues. Those are the agencies with the expertise and the authority to take action in those areas, we don’t.” Following Ryan’s delivery, GAA president Jarlath Burns interpreted the lack of comment from the floor about Allianz as an endorsement of the action the GAA took to retain the firm as sponsors and underwriters.

“If Coiste Bainisti have to make a tough decision on your behalf, that’s when you realise the mantle of leadership is weighing very heavy on your shoulders.

“Sometimes, you have to make hard, tough decisions and we all know what we’re talking about. I thank you for the fact that you have endorsed the decisions that we have taken.

“You might not have all agreed with them but you understand we made them for the betterment of the Association and for the people to whom we are responsible for and the games we are responsible for.” 

On the matter of integration, Waterford’s Neil Moore became the latest county chairperson to raise issues with the process. 

The likes of Patrick O’Sullivan of Kerry, Laois’s PJ Kelly, Paul Bellew (Galway) and Wexford chairman John Kenny have all raised questions about the merger, which has a deadline of 2027.

“From my own personal point of view and dealing with the Waterford County Board, we would have concerns about the integration process and the manner in which it’s been handled and the lack of communication about the process,” Moore said.

“I want to be perfectly clear that like everybody here tonight we’re all fully in favour of integration and want to see it happen. We’re not a million miles away from the 150th anniversary of our association and it would be a fantastic achievement when we do celebrate the anniversary that we have a fully integrated association working like we all want it.

“But we would have concerns with the timelines laid out and the process that’s currently being engaged in and are we going to get there?” 

Moore continued: “We’re not pockets of resistance, we’re not objecting to integration, we’re fully behind it and want to see it happen, but it has to happen the right way. I just think there’s a greater need for more communication and maybe less presentations to get to where we want to.” 

In response, Ryan insisted he will not be asking the GAA to back any proposals relating to integration that he doesn’t think will earn enough support from delegates.

Admitting there will be compromises to be made, Ryan said: “We won’t rush anybody into anything. I’m not going to take the risk of standing in front of you here with proposals that I don’t think are going to succeed. I won’t do that. We will listen to everybody and take everybody’s views on board. There will compromises that people won’t like, there will be tough decisions in it but it’s worthwhile so bear with us.” 

Days after RTÉ confirmed the sale of their 50% share of GAAGO to the GAA for €3 million, Ryan hailed the deal. “We now own that channel fully and the feedback thus far has been really good.

“It offers us choice of flexibility in what games we can show. It asserts our independence in a really challenging market.”