A key element of any Congress is the Presidential address, delivering as it does a snapshot of the year gone by and the tone for what is happening in the longer term.
We were pleased to have Larry McCarthy join us for the Sport for Business Sporting Year Ahead event last month and to dive a little deeper into what it was like to lead the GAA as well as to discover his own personal stamp on what has been achieved through the first two-thirds of his tenure in the position as President.
On Saturday he delivered his third address as President and in it covered all the hot topics of the weekend congress from discipline and respect to structure and integration.
We are pleased to repeat his address in full below as an example of the breadth of areas that a modern sporting administration has to cover and as a useful insight into the biggest such organisation we have on the island of Ireland.
A chairde,
Fearaim fáilte romhaibh go léir chuig Óráid an Uachtaráin ag Comhdháil 2023. Ar an gcéad dul síos ba mhaith liom comhgairdeachas a dhéanamh le Jarlath as ucht a bheith roghnaithe mar Uachtarán Tofa CLG. Tá mé ag súil go mór le bheith ag obair leat sa bhliain amach romhain agus guím gach rath ort.
Ladies and gentlemen, one of the objectives that we had Post Covid, was that we would return to 2019 levels of activity and achievement. Thanks to your great work in the last 12 months, that ambition has been achieved. A hugely successful recalibration of the playing season, excellent Allianz leagues, provincial and All-Ireland championships, large crowds, very satisfactory end-of-year accounts, the introduction of a Smart, ethically produced Sliothar, the first running of the Tailteann Cup, are hallmarks of a successful 2022. Yet again, you have shown how effective you are, collectively, as sports administrators and managers. Congratulations, well done, and gratitude to each and every one of you.
After one year I believe that the recalibration of the playing season has been a huge success. Club players now have certainty of fixture, are playing games generally in good weather and on good grounds and are enjoying their games more than ever. The length of time that club teams have together without interruption has allowed them to develop both on an individual player and on a collective basis. Players, teams and by extension clubs, are enjoying their involvement in CLG even more.
Here is a data point. On the first Sunday in September, there were 125 senior club championship games on the island of Ireland. At a minimum, each involves 40 people. That is a total of 5,000 people playing senior championship hurling and football. You can treble that number when you include intermediate and junior championships. In total then, you have 15,000 people playing championship hurling and football in good weather and on good ground. If traditionalists had their way, there would be 52 people participating in the All-Ireland Senior hurling final. To take those opportunities away from our clubs would be an abdication of our responsibility to provide a good programme of games for our players.
The new format for the intercounty football championship in 2023 will be another recalibration. The structure is designed to give more games to more counties at an appropriate level and at an appropriate time of the year. Rather like the club season gave club teams the opportunity to grow and develop, intercounty teams will have a similar opportunity. It will give game time to more players, so squad members who might not ordinarily get to play, will get game time. It will be a very interesting coaching and managerial challenge. It will also be an exciting time for many of the players and their families, as they will get an opportunity to represent their counties.
Rather than critiquing the format before it has even begun, as some commentators, particularly in relation to the championship draw in Connacht and its implications for the Sam Maguire competition did, let us see how the new format works. We will then assess its impact, and make appropriate adjustments, if necessary. We will not know how it works until it is tried. And I stress that the review should take place at the end of the year, not at the end of the intercounty portion of the season. We need to look at the season in its totality not just through the prism of the intercounty game.
The introduction of the Tailteann Cup in 2022 was very successful. I congratulate Westmeath on their achievement in winning it. If we ever needed proof of the relevance of such a competition to our players, our members, and indeed the general public, look at the two homecoming parades that were held in Mullingar and Moate, on the weekend of the final. It was wonderful to see.
Now we have a responsibility to make sure that there is no slump in terms of support and enthusiasm. A sophomore slump refers to underwhelming results in a student’s second year when the enthusiasm and interest of the first-year wanes slightly. We, collectively, need to avoid such a slump and to make sure that the competition is promoted, and engaged with, as enthusiastically as it was this year. We will put the same level of promotion and focus on it as we did last year.
The 2022 All-Ireland Club Championships produced winning teams from 6 different counties. In 2023 we had winners from four counties. Kerry and Tyrone each had two finalists, while Limerick, Cork, Dublin and Derry were also represented in finals. While not successful in the intermediate and junior hurling finals, allow me to congratulate Easkey and Tooreen on their achievement in reaching All-Ireland Club hurling finals. It is not often that a hurling club from Sligo or Mayo reaches an All-Ireland final and they are to be commended for doing so. They are wonderful examples of the great work that is being undertaken, and continues to be undertaken, to develop hurling in the Tain and Cuchullain leagues. They were beneficiaries of the club season which helped them grow and develop as they progressed through the season.
Last year was an exceptional year for CPT, allowing the company to subvent CLG significantly. That subvention typically comes from premium seating and corporate box income which is based on the matches that are held in the stadium. In his annual report, the Ard Stiúrthóir refers to exceptional circumstances in 2022. We will not have those exceptional events in the stadium, notably seven concerts in 2023. We will be back to normal sources of income, gate receipts, sponsorship, and media rights. Sponsorship and media rights are contracted income that is dependable. I am delighted to acknowledge Allianz who have become sponsors of the All-Ireland Football Championship in addition to their long-standing sponsorship of the Allianz League.
The variable in 2023 as always will be attendance. All by way of saying that we need to ensure that our games are attractive, well marketed and consequently well attended. The new format gives an opportunity to extend the reach of inter-county competitions and with longer county involvement allows the media, and our partners, the opportunity to provide significant coverage for our games. It also gives more opportunity to people to attend championship games.
A very exciting development will be the growth and expansion of GAAGO. Initially created to serve the diaspora, we learned through the pandemic that we were well capable of using the platform to serve a domestic audience. Given the withdrawal of Sky from the GAA market we were presented with a wonderful opportunity to take more ownership of the media distribution of our own games. We also got an opportunity to distribute our games in a format that our younger members and audience favor. While terrestrial TV may be the preferred option for those of us here today, rest assured that streaming is the preferred format for younger members of the Association. With our partner RTE, we had no qualms about accepting the challenge of building a new GAAGO. It will give more options for our fixture makers, gives us, potentially, an opportunity to develop our own programming, and allows us to promote and market our games through the channel. Undoubtedly given the subscription income model on which it is based, there are risks involved, but we are well capable of taking on those challenges and making GAAGO the go to channel for GAA coverage.
When we initiated discussions on pricing we were insistent that Association members should benefit in the form of a discount. That has been achieved, and I want to acknowledge Noel Quinn and Tomas Meehan from the Croke Park staff for ensuring that the technology worked in terms of coordinating a payment of club membership through Foireann and the application of a GAAGO discount.
In addition, GAAGO allows us, as a result of a motion from the Sean O’Heslin’s Club last year, to study the feasibility of monitoring games so that assistance might be provided to match officials. A working group chaired by National Referee’s Committee member Michelle Bennet, and including Central Council member Micheal McMahon, Munster Referees Coordinator Johnny Ryan, former referee Maurice Deegan, and Bernard Smith from Croke Park will work at a number of games this summer to examine the feasibility of providing appropriate information to referees. The free-flowing nature of hurling and football may be less conducive, than more stop-start sports, to the use of such technology, but the committee, given the access that GAAGO affords us, will be able to assess the potential benefits and pitfalls.
Fun is Good is a mantra of a baseball team owner called Mike Veeck. It is a mantra that we might adopt as we seek to ensure that our children continue to play our games. Making sure that every child enjoys themselves will undoubtedly be our greatest marketing tool. A narrative that emanates consistently from the Limerick Hurling team is that they have a good time together, they enjoy each other’s company, and they enjoy working together to achieve their objectives. If the All-Ireland Champions can revel in fun, why can’t the rest of us? It is a mantra that we might all apply to our roles in the Association. The idea of fun and enjoyment should be appreciated by adults as much as anybody.
It is disconcerting to see a parent sue a club because of a lack of playing time for a child. I accept totally that such behavior is a complete outlier. But, when you realize that lack of playing time was the complaint most often received by Children’s Officers in 30 of 32 counties last Autumn, it suggests that we may have an underlying issue that needs to be addressed. When Our Go Games programme was launched it was rightfully lauded for its philosophy of inclusion and encouragement, essentially making sure all Children had Fun. We need to return to that founding philosophy. Competitive Go Games Tournaments have no place on our calendar and I would ask you not to organize, endorse, or give permission for them to take place. The over-emphasis on winning at such a young age is totally anathema to the philosophy of Go Games, is damaging to children, and deters people from involvement in the Association. Fun is Good.
We launched the Association’s strategic plan last Spring and people have been working hard to implement the actions in the plan. Maximum participation – among players, coaches, referees and officers is one of the core objectives. Reinforcing a culture of Club self-sufficiency and sustainability, especially in coaching, games, and player development is crucial to our growth and development. It is through clubs that we will grow, so helping clubs and counties put plans in place so they are self-sufficient is a critical step and is ongoing. Development of games will continue through our Player Pathway and this will remain at the core of our playing and development strategies. Without this Pathway, we are flailing, and its implementation through all levels of the Association is critical to our well-being and development.
A major element of the Strategic Plan is the integration of the three Gaelic Games Associations. You heard last evening from Mary McAleese that the process is progressing well, but one should not be surprised that it is taking time. I suggested last year that the middle tiers of the organizations would prove to be the most challenging and from the various meetings we have had that, in my view, is still the case. The process is challenging and each of us deserves the time and space to determine how integration best serves our organizations and by extension society. Rest assured that while the path may be long, we are committed to integration as a means of creating a vibrant Gaelic Games organization that is positioned well to grow our sports.
Many of you will have participated in governance seminars over the last few months. While governance is not something that sets many people hearts alight, good governance is critical to our well-being as a community-based sporting organization. As the GAA goes, so does society, so we owe it to ourselves, and to Irish society in particular to ensure that we, as the Ard-Stiúrthóir, said in his report, run the Association with integrity.
While some governance obligations we have put upon us are extremely onerous, they do make us a more robust organization, but I would ask Sport Ireland and the Department of Sport, to take particular cognizance of the fact that we are a volunteer-led organization, operating in a society, in which time poverty is rampant. While the evolution of Foireann and our other technologies will assist with the implementation of good governance, our volunteers are at a critical juncture in terms of their ability to meet ever increasing demands. It is a challenge for us to recruit younger volunteers who have the time, but more importantly the verve and energy, to grow our clubs, a very critical aspect of our strategic plan. While a reduction in demands on volunteers is no guarantee of increased volunteerism, an increasing burden of demands will exacerbate what is currently a very challenging situation.
Part of good governance is safety, particularly the safety of children, and that obligation is simply non-negotiable. The safety of our children is arguably our greatest responsibility and, in that regard, we need to have all coaches and volunteers vetted appropriately. I would encourage all of you, as leaders of the Association, to get vetted by the relevant authorities. Central Council in January ratified a Risk Assessments & Child Safeguarding Statement. This must be completed by clubs every two years, and the end of May is the deadline for completion of this year’s Assessment. It was extremely disappointing that quite a number of clubs in 2021 had to be chased to meet such a basic obligation. Indeed, I don’t mind telling you that despite it being a legal obligation and a rule of the Association a very small number of clubs resisted completing the assessment. Please support your Children’s Officers in their work, because ultimately our greatest responsibility is the safety of our children.
In light of the Ashling Murphy murder last year you were asked to chat with the male members of our association about respecting their mothers, sisters, children and female friends. Many of you did and for that we are very grateful. However, violence towards girls and women continues to be a huge issue in our communities, particularly when you consider that 11 girls or women were murdered in Ireland in 2022. While males may think that this behavior is rare, and thankfully it is to a certain extent, it is arguably a product of a society that normalizes low-level harassment and violence towards girls and women. If we accept this – then it is very difficult to profess our amazement when the harassment escalates to more serious attacks. We need to continue the conversations suggested by a mother, Cathy Hannigan, last year about respect and healthy relationships, and be part of the solution so that our mothers, our sisters, our children and our female friends are not fearful in our communities.
As you know we launched a Respect the Ref campaign last Autumn. The aim of the campaign was to elevate respect for referees and match officials across the Association. In addition to what was done by Central Council, highlighting and acknowledging referees who were in charge of county finals, highlighting the work of the National Referees Committee with Dr. Noel Brick, and emphasizing the importance of referees to the Association, it was gratifying to see a number of counties undertake their own campaigns to focus on referees and refereeing.
We will continue to highlight the need for respect for officials, but respect is a two-way street and is ultimately earned not given. In my discussions with inter-county football referees in the last few weeks, I asked how respect might be maintained and elevated. I suggested that they might ask themselves if they could be fitter, could they be sharper, could their reporting be better. They should regard the fitness test that they undertake to be on the intercounty panel as a minimum standard of fitness. While we have a collective responsibility in generating respect, it is not a one-sided coin, referees need to do their part as well.
I asked the inter-county referees to adopt a no tolerance attitude to foul language on the sidelines. The rationale is that foul language leads from poor behavior to aggressive behavior which, inevitably, leads to other issues. My request to all our referees is to adopt the same attitude, deal with foul language coming from team officials, mentors, or substitutes as soon as you hear it. Allowing it to permeate a game is not only unpleasant, it typically leads to other forms of misbehavior.
I had the pleasure of watching a game in London last summer with Donal Corbett, chairman of the London Board. It was a relegation battle and an intense game. When a team mentor started using foul language, Donal went to the sideline, spoke with the individual, and the foul language ceased. The atmosphere around the game was significantly better as a result. No less passionate, but significantly more enjoyable for all involved. We should all be willing to do what Donal did.
History tells us that September and October are likely to be the most challenging time for respect toward local officials. That is when club matches begin to grow in importance, tensions rise, and people become more animated at games. It is the time that we need to be most vigilant to ensure that we avoid incidents such as those that besmirched the reputation of the Association last Autumn. One of those incidents is too many, but because of the rule changes that are before you today, we have the opportunity, should they occur, to deal with them in a manner that will act as a deterrent.
An issue I have raised over the last two years is the intrusion of social media into the lives of our players and officials. Communications staff from the GAA have assisted our players, through the GPA Rookie Camp, and our intercounty referees, manage their social media presence. Showing players and referees how they should manage their presence is a small but unfortunately necessary step to protecting them from some of the ravages of social media. We will continue to be proactive to ensure our players and officials feel safeguarded and protected online. Arguably legislation such as A Protection of Volunteers in Amateur Sports Act which would penalize severe personal criticism of amateur athletes and volunteers is warranted.
Ladies and Gentlemen, CLG has developed a well-deserved reputation for the robustness of its child safeguarding policies and practices. The people who served, and continue to serve, on the Child Safeguarding Committees do our Association an extraordinary service. Gearoid O’Maoilmhichíl, our Children’s Safety Officer, has been the driver of standards in this regard for the Association. He has done an incredible job for us and is well deserving, not only of our acknowledgment but our sincere gratitude, as he retires after 15 years with the Association. Gearóid, go raibh míle maith agat.
Let me finish my remarks by acknowledging the work of the Ard Stiúrthóir and the wonderful staff in Croke Park. I am also grateful to the many people who made me welcome in clubs and at events wherever I represented the Association, and finally, I thank each of you for everything that you do for CLG here and across the globe.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh.
