The dream of uniting all Gaelic games under one umbrella has moved a step closer, with the Steering Group on Integration (SGI) publishing the core principles that could soon reshape the future of the GAA, the Camogie Association, and the Ladies Gaelic Football Association.
For many on the outside, this will formalise what many believe is already the case, but as ever, the devil is in the details.
The latest statement of nine core principles follows months of what the group described as “a long and intensive process of listening and engagement,” with players, clubs, officials, and volunteers across the country.
Having been a part of that from the perspective of a large club operating under the ‘One Club’ model and having the opportunity to present to the Steering Group, I can vouch that the level of engagement and probing of models was very real.
Encouragingly, the SGI said the goodwill and enthusiasm it encountered has been a driving force behind its work.
But the message was also clear that work needs to be done. While the principles mark progress, nothing is set in stone just yet.
“No definitive outcome can be assumed,” the group stressed, with the final say resting with the members of each association through their respective national congresses.
So what does the proposed future look like?
The principles agreed by the SGI include:
Integration Timeline: Work continues in line with the previously communicated timeline.
Single Association: A unified body will emerge, to be called the GAA.
Unified Membership: A single membership structure will apply to all members.
Structures: The existing hierarchy of club, county, province, and national levels will remain.
Officer Roles: Current officer positions will largely continue, with new roles added to ensure equal representation of all codes. Bye-laws will remain permissible.
Rules and Governance: The Treoir Oifigiúil (Official Guide) and existing rules will be retained, with amendments to ensure proper representation of camogie and ladies football.
New Club Constitution: A fresh constitution will reflect the full range of codes under the new GAA.
Clubs: All clubs will be formally affiliated with the new body, though in some areas duplication may arise where separate clubs already exist. Local units will decide if and when to merge.
Competitions: Fixtures across football, hurling, camogie, and ladies football will continue, with greater coordination and integration.
At its heart then, there will be one Association, to be called the GAA, bringing together men’s and women’s games within a single structure.
Membership will be unified, and the familiar building blocks of club, county, province, and national levels will remain.
Officer roles such as secretary, treasurer, and children’s officer will continue as before, but new posts will be introduced to guarantee that all codes are equally represented at management level.
A new club constitution will reflect the broader remit of the integrated association. Every club will be affiliated under this structure, though in some areas—where, for example, a camogie club, a ladies football club, and a GAA club already exist side by side—questions of merger or amalgamation will be left to local decision-making.
Rules will largely mirror the current Treoir Oifigiúil (Official Guide), with adjustments made to ensure camogie and ladies football are firmly embedded in this.
And competitions across the four codes will not only continue but be better coordinated and integrated.
Dublin GAA’s new website launched earlier this year is a model of how this might look where all four codes games are centrally promoted, pitches allocated and referees likewise.
Former President of Ireland Mary McAleese, who chairs the Steering Group, framed the work as both a moral and practical imperative.
“If we are to remain true to our core objective of providing playing opportunities for all members of our communities, we must recognise that the full flourishing of Gaelic games is intrinsically linked to the adequacy and accessibility of our facilities,” she said.
“The future of our games will require full inclusivity, ensuring equal access for all participants. Inevitably, this will necessitate a strategic call on funding in due course, so that we can continue to honour our commitment to the Gaelic games family in every community.”
The integration project is far from finished. The SGI’s working groups will continue refining proposals, with a final package to be put before the three associations.
Only when members debate and vote at national congresses will the outcome be decided. The timetable for that remains 2027.
This is the latest step along that path, one that is clearer now than at any previous point: one association, one membership, and a shared commitment to making Gaelic games fully inclusive.
The progress may seem to be only happening in small increments but at least it is happening and forward progress always looks quicker once completed rather than awaited.
Image Credit: SGI
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