How the GAA went into this mess and how it can come off

How did this happen? Literally? The origins of the controversy, which seems likely to unfold, over the availability of Páirc Uí Chaoimh for a charity event are not so old.

The ban on GAA sites used by other sports arose from a desire to give comfort coverage to those who vigorously opposed the lifting of the sport. ban from practicing other sports by the members of the badociation – the "old" ban on foreign games "at the congress of 1971.

Given the extent of the defeat He is difficult to understand why such an emollience was deemed necessary, but that is why the GAA, in the decades that followed, entered into its most annoying public controversies, like the 1991 RDS saga and The most recent

What is most regrettable in the current situation, it is that it could have been avoided and, in fact, could be advantageous for the badociation. Instead, the problem dragged the desperation of most members of the GAA and amid the usual barrage of recriminations and insults on social media.

There is also the deeply uncomfortable reality that abuses, the agenda It rages on a project quite commendable in which is a family in mourning, recognized publicly as not wanting to take part to violence.

The questions for the GAA in all of this are 1) why they have not taken advantage of the abundant ambiguity in the Official Guide to give the go-ahead to the tribute match before the situation does not worsen and 2) why so determined not to let it go, they left the case open last weekend and after Monday's meeting with the event organizers, intended to raise money for the family of the late football international, Liam Miller?

The genesis of the rule on the use of GAA property could go back 47 years, but the regulation has evolved a lot in the last 15 years or so. In 2005, the annual congress decided to open Croke Park for the Irish international rugby and football teams while the Lansdowne Road was being redeveloped

This access was expanded to allow the semi-final to the Munster-Leinster European Cup. The new Ballsbridge stadium has been completed and the GAA has left Croke Park open to other sports.

Attempts to expand the field to counties were unsuccessful in 2015 and 16 – well battered, 23-77, over the past year. first vote falling by 38-62, after an intervention by GAA's general manager, Páraic Duffy, who pointed out that this would have more important implications for the GAA than the current availability of Croke Park and cooperation with the IRFU for facilitate the bid for the 2023 RWC.

Use of Sanction

Although the rule has always specifically involved the permission of the Central Council, practice has developed to declare the ban a congressional issue, which voted to relax at both in relation to Croke Park and the various sites that constituted the unsuccessful offer of Ireland for the Rugby World Cup.

In a useless obscuration room, Rule 5, under which the ownership of badociation may be used for field games, "other than those sanctioned by the Central Council," cites an appendix, listed as a Central Council policy, which is not published in the rule book.

It was established in 2010 and updated four years later. , among other things, for the rental of five-player recreational soccer fields. It clearly states under the heading "Ard Chomhairle Policy on the Use of Outdoor Playgrounds of Normal Size and Juvenile Size (Including Full Size Artificial Turf Fields) Controlled by Uniform Ground Units". Association:

1. The GAA does not authorize the use of its gaming facilities by other sports organizations or for sports activities other than those controlled by the badociation itself.

2. However, the Central Council, as enshrined in the rule, retains the right to sanction the use of GAA facilities, from time to time [my italics] for field sports and recreational activities. other purposes. the goals and objectives of the badociation.

It is difficult to see how this would not confer on the Central Council the jurisdiction to appeal in this case, because the tribute could hardly – even by the most conservative interpretation – be declared "in conflict with the aims and the objectives of the badociation ".

The traditional abdication of responsibility at the congress does not hold here, since the policy itself, as quoted in the appendix, was elaborated by the Council and not submitted to Congress

In addition, the GAA has always embraced reform gradually. In this case, it was first Croke Park, and then there were other reasons to facilitate RWC 's submission.

The establishment of a precedent in the current situation for charitable purposes would have added another layer of legitimate use to the application. interpretation of Rule 5.

It should be noted that there are grievances of the GAA in all this. With the ban of other sports for 47 years, it continues to worsen the lack of reciprocity of the people of the badociation, especially in rugby schools.

The refurbished Lansdowne Road was originally scheduled to be available for Gaelic. This plan was abruptly abandoned.

At this point, however, is there not a state of mind in the GAA to dispense with the paternalistic ban? of all the grounds outside Croke Park? There is growing resentment that, while the GAA centrally can sweat the badet by being available for other sports, local units can not rent their facilities.

If this is a step forward for the badociation as a whole, we should at least introduce a streamlined process at next year's congress to deal with these issues in a timely and judicious manner.

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