Blueprint for GAA awaits its public GAA's Strategic Review

Tomorrow, a vision of the future of the GAA will be presented by the Strategic Review committee, in what will be the most thorough dissection of the association in three decades.

Chaired by former president Peter Quinn, the committee's report is expected to include a sweeping series of recommendations pertaining to the governance of the GAA, its financial potential and the evolution of its sports.

Modelled on the 1971 McNamee report, which designed a prescient set of tramlines along which the association thrived in the following years, the review committee's brief was to investigate all aspects of a sporting body that, while notoriously slow in adopting to change, has undergone a radical transformation over the past decade.

With Gaelic games enjoying an unprecedented degree of profile and popularity, and with the ambitious metamorphosis of Croke Park almost complete, the GAA has reached a crossing point. Tomorrow's report, the findings of which have been kept admirably watertight, will outline the most efficient methods of progress without violating the more sacred elements of GAA tradition.

Although the touchstones will be manifold and vigorously analysed, a few are certain to take central stage. Administrative issues rarely set pulses racing, but such is the scale of the organisation there may be a move to fade out the largely voluntary input of members in favour of a full-time, hired staff.

"I'm not sure that will be the case," commented Col Noel Walsh, a member of the Management Committee and a man with a highly distinguished record at both sporting and administrative level.

"I do think that we need to devise more efficient structures for our procedures at county level, but I see no reason why the current system of administration cannot thrive in the years ahead. I don't believe that there have been many calls from delegates for an overhaul. Of course, that is just a personal opinion, the review committee might see it differently."

Many of the issues likely to be raised are those which concern the membership on a regular basis, such as player-related issues, the financial obligations of Croke Park, the state of hurling beyond the traditional strongholds, the fading prominence of Gaelic games in the capital city, the utilising of assets, including its broadcasting revenue, discipline and the function of its officials and boards.

Overall, the Strategic Review will serve to illustrate how the GAA is perceived in contemporary Ireland and outline its role in that society and how it can continue to grow. The GAA's obligation to the Irish language and culture is likely to feature, as well as the association's relationship with its overseas members, given the erosion of the games in England over the past decade.

Two of the members who served on the groundbreaking McNamee report, Martin Rafferty and Gerry Cloherty, also sit on this committee. Interestingly, a number of recommendations they formulated in 1971, such as the reduction of players and the relevance of the provincial championship format, might again be up for discussion tomorrow.

The GAA hierarchy will study the report for the first time tomorrow afternoon in Croke Park, prior to the official launch at 5.0 in the Burlington Hotel. It remains to be seen how and when the recommendations will be adopted.

Most county conventions have already taken place, leaving it awkward in terms of further proposals ahead of congress in April. The possibility of a special congress has been mooted, but appetite for this might be limited. A third alternative, even less desirable as it would essentially leave the findings to grow stale, would be to delay the issues until next year's congress.

Much will depend on how radical the recommendations are, and there is speculation that Central Council will deal with the less contentious aspects and leave the more hotly debated to the delegates to decide upon next April.

And with the mood for reform and enlightenment now strong among association members, this may be the eve of a significantly new departure for one of old Ireland's last establishments.

Committee: Peter Quinn - (chairman and former president), Joe McDonagh - (former president), Martin Rafferty - (businessman), Paddy Wright - (incoming chairman of RTÉ authority), Pat O'Neill - (Glanbia), Seán Donnelly - (financial consultant), Eithne Fitzgerald (former Minister of State and member of Camogie Commission), Gerry Cloherty - (managing director of Connacht Tribune), Nicky Brennan (former Kilkenny hurler, vice-chairman of Leinster Council), Christy Cooney - (former Cork county chairman), Mark Conway of Tyrone, and the four provincial secretaries: Donie Nealon, Michael Delaney, Danny Murphy and John Prenty.