Cooney says plan is 'practical and achievable'

GAELIC GAMES:GAA PRESIDENT Nickey Brennan didn't quite shudder, but when asked to recall the launch of the Strategic Review Committee (SRC) in 2002, he remarked that it had been in the same room, Cusack Park's Celtic Suite, as yesterday's unveiling of the association's action plan for the next seven years.

As a member of the SRC he - and his successor as president at next April's congress, Christy Cooney, who was also present at yesterday's top table - had the fruitless task of selling the ideas of the review body.

"I think I speak for Christy as well as myself," he remembered, "when I say that it was a not particularly enjoyable day, although it's ironic how many of those recommendations came through in the end.

"I think when you read this document, I'd like to think that it's easy to read and understand, and those of you who are in the association will certainly empathise with what we're trying to achieve in the various actions we're putting before you here.

"A lot of it isn't particularly revolutionary, to be quite frank about it. It's a lot of common sense."

This year's GAA Strategic Vision and Action Plan 2009-2015 takes a different approach to the SRC report. Director general Páraic Duffy told the audience the plan was different to its predecessor of nearly seven years ago.

"This is not a root and branch review of structures within the association," he said when introducing the modestly sized, 44-page document. "This is an action plan that can be reviewed along the way. We were looking for a way forward that would be practical and achievable."

As a result, the plan doesn't require major rule changes at congress, but instead requires the full engagement of all units of the association from clubs up to Croke Park.

It is laid out in pragmatic fashion, detailing the aims in 12 areas of association activity and providing a timetable of targets and ultimate goals to be achieved by 2015.

Among the most recognisably pressing issues are fixtures, which are to be organised on a three-year, national basis; the active recruitment of volunteers for club activities; the overhaul of association communications and the relaunch of the website; and requiring senior county managers to take coaching qualifications within the next three years.

It also sets out what are, in the current climate, ambitious revenue targets.

Although there are also plans to cope with the challenges of urbanisation, Dublin does not get the same attention as it received in 2002 when the SRC famously proposed dividing the county into two units and imposing population restrictions on clubs with catchments of greater than 25,000.

Yesterday's plan, however, simply categorises the capital with all other urban areas with populations above 100,000.

Cooney, who chaired the SRC Dublin sub-committee, said that this didn't indicate a reprioritising of the issue.

"I think it would be fair to say that significant progress has been made in Dublin in recent years, particularly in relation to coaching structures and the involvement of a regional Dublin team in the hurling championship. I also think we've learned a lot from what has happened in Dublin, which will be a help for us when developing plans for other urban areas.

"What we're doing here instead of laying down a hard and fast scenario is basically saying to the urban areas, 'what are the challenges in your area? Tell us what you believe is right to do and let us work with them'."

During questions, the top table were anxious not to wave the big stick too prominently.

"This plan isn't about sanctions," said Cooney in answer to an inquiry about how the plans would be enforced if any units proved recalcitrant.

"It's about progress."

Strategic Vision and Action Plan 2009-2015

STEERING GROUP

Nickey Brennan, GAA president

Páraic Duffy, director general

Christy Cooney, president-elect

Con Hogan(chair, organisation and development Committee)

Brian Duncan(consultant)

Kieran Leddy(organisation and development officer)

Pat Daly(head of games)

Feargal McGill(operations director)

Tom Ryan(financial officer)

Dermot Power(commercial and marketing manager)

Shane Flanagan(Leinster Council)

Ryan Feeney(Ulster Council)

Tim Floyd(Tipperary secretary)

John Tobin(Connacht Council)