Camogie Association want new 2028 date for integration

Camogie chiefs have also proposed an implementation committee be established

President of the Camogie Association Brian Molloy greets Laois captain Aimée Collier ahead of the All-Ireland final Photo: ©INPHO/Tom Maher

The leadership of the Camogie Association have called for January 2028 to be the new deadline for the initial stage of integration.

Molloy, in a letter to county board, has also proposed an implementation committee be established to put into place the recommendations of the steering group on integration (SGI).

That body are to meet the week where it is expected Mary McAleese’s replacement as chairperson will be in place.

The memo, signed by Camogie Association president Brian Molloy, reads: “We believe that the outstanding issues, which the GAA have indicated revolve around structures and finances, can be resolved over the next 12 months and as such we would advocate for January 2028 as the new delivery date for the GAA to become the single NGB (national governing body) for all Gaelic Games.

“It should not be forgotten that a significant amount of the heavy lifting has already been done over the period from 2022 through to now. We believe that there is a need now for a new impetus and we would suggest that in order to achieve the proposed revised date of January 2028 we need a change in delivery model.

“Whilst the public focus is on the appointment of a new Chair of the SGI, the reality is that this body (made up of the three Uachtaráns and three Ard Stiúrthóirs) does not have the bandwidth to deal with the levels of detail necessary now to close out the structures, the rule changes, the process changes and the glidepaths/phased deliveries of certain items which are all necessary to achieve our goal.

“As such we would recommend that the SGI immediately appoints a subcommittee charged with driving through the operationalisation of the integration process – under the guidance and with the support of the three Ard Stiúrthóirs.

“This committee should be adequately resourced and should be led by an externally hired, experienced, results focused programme manager. The Camogie Association will as always commit to providing its share of the funding necessary to make this happen.” 

Molloy admitted he did not heed the indications that next month’s proposed Special Congresses to initiate integration would not take place. “Our focus now is to get integration back on track. The Camogie Association accepts that as an equal partner on the Steering Group it has to shoulder its share of responsibility for the change in timescales.

“As Uachtarán I put my hand up and issue a mea culpa for not reading the signs that perhaps should have been clear sooner that the October Special Congresses and by extension the April 2027 deadline were not going to happen.

“It is always easy for people to point to items that should have been taken as clear indications that the process was in trouble. I’m happy to accept that criticism has some validity.

“Much is made of the media reported position of the GAA (Management Committee) at the end of last year indicating that 2027 ‘was unrealistic’. Perhaps we should have paused at that point to ensure that what we were proposing was still considered achievable by all three associations.

“Ultimately the three associations pressed ahead and we all participated in the roadshow which included the timetable for delivery of Integration by 2027.

“We were informed that there was disquiet amongst county chairs around the funding of adult inter-county teams. To tackle this issue, we set up a high-level working group with senior representatives from the three associations and the GPA and when they reported we understood that there would be a mechanism to deal with that matter satisfactorily (the phased/glidepath model).”