Mary McAleese steps down as chairperson of steering committee on integration

McAleese had been tasked by ex-GAA president Larry McCarthy in September 2022 with leading the group to oversee the amalgamation of the GAA, LGFA and The Camogie Association

STEPPING DOWN: Mary McAleese has stepped down as chairperson of the steering committee on integration. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile.

Mary McAleese has stepped down as chairperson of the steering committee on integration.

The former President of Ireland had been tasked by ex-GAA president Larry McCarthy in September 2022 with leading the group to oversee the amalgamation of the GAA, Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) and The Camogie Association (CA).

The committee set out a deadline of 2027.

McAleese’s steering committee group met on Monday. It followed a lengthy discussion between the leadership of the GAA, LGFA and The Camogie Association in Croke Park last Sunday week.

There remained serious misgivings among officials about the timeline of the merger, which was expected to be fully complete by the first quarter of 2028.

It had been an open secret in the three organisations that the Special Congresses which had been pencilled in for next month to take the first formal steps of uniting the associations were not going to happen.

As late as last December, members of the GAA’s Management Committee had informed McAleese that the timeline for integration was “unrealistic”.

They had informed her “a phased implementation would represent a more measured approach, in order to better manage any risks and to accommodate any reasonable reservations that may be abroad in the Association”.

McAleese rejected their opinion and the steering committee had continued to work, arranging a roadshow around the country following which a more detailed timeline of events was published.

In front of a joint Oireachtas committee meeting in June, McAleese maintained integration remained on track for 2027.

“Our advisory body is not an implementation body but one will be needed,” she said.

“This body will navigate the one organisation and one membership piece from April on, and then there will be the glide path that will bring the new organisation at every level – club, county and provincial – deeper into a fully integrated model. That is the plan, and we are on course for it. However, let us not forget that it is not our decision. It will be the decision of the three congresses in October.”

Earlier this year, GAA president-elect Derek Kent had suggested the 150th anniversary of the GAA in 2034 would be a more realistic target to complete integration.

“A measured and phased approach would be the best, and would ensure stability, buy-in, and lasting success.” 

In May, Munster GAA chairman Tim Murphy revealed the association and the LGFA and CA in the province favoured a more federal approach to aligning the three bodies.

“Having met with Lorraine Royle (Munster LGFA President) and Christine Ryan (Munster Camogie Chairperson), we collectively agree that a federal model would be the most effective framework to facilitate gradual integration.”

Murphy warned that the 2027 deadline was putting pressure on the respective groups.

“While all three associations share a vision for integration, significant concerns persist among GAA counties in Munster.

"Many believe the current proposed format and timeline are overly ambitious and could in fact jeopardise a smooth merging of the codes.

“These concerns are echoed by representatives from LGFA and Camogie, highlighting the critical importance of heeding the feedback from all counties representing both men’s and women’s games.

"It’s essential that we listen to and address these concerns seriously to ensure a successful and inclusive integration for everyone involved.”