Duffy critical of Tallaght decision

GAA DIRECTOR general Páraic Duffy has criticised the government decision to exclude Gaelic games from the stadium in Tallaght, now home to Shamrock Rovers. In his annual report to next month’s congress, Duffy says that the decision cannot be justified.

He also told yesterday’s media briefing at Croke Park the GAA would be meeting with Fingal Council next Monday to discuss the proposed stadium project there, intended to be home to League of Ireland club Sporting Fingal.

Duffy said that with local authorities showing greater interest in developing sports facilities, the trend should be towards sharing those facilities between organisations.

“We understand fully the difficult economic context in which we are operating, yet I want to emphasise again that the GAA is willing to participate in public multi-sport facilities throughout the country. The GAA will also continue to seek Government support for its own activities and investment programmes.

“However, we must address the perception among our members that we are not benefiting in an equitable manner from growing local authority investment in sport facilities. Tallaght is the most serious example of a lost opportunity to develop multi-sport participation in a publicly-funded facility.

“The implications of that decision remain a huge bone of contention within the GAA, and not just for the Thomas Davis club and the other GAA clubs in the Tallaght area. We have never received an adequate explanation as to why the wishes of the elected members of South Dublin County Council to develop a genuine multi-sport venue, specifically accommodating Gaelic games and soccer, were denied by the then Minister for Sport.

“The inescapable truth of the matter is that a stadium is effectively being developed, exclusively from exchequer funding, for a professional soccer club when a badly needed multi-sports stadium could, and should, have been provided in the area. It is a decision that simply cannot be justified.”

Asked about the similar plan under consideration in the north county area, Duffy said: “We’re meeting Fingal County Council next Monday and won’t be making any comment until after that.”

Financial matters were also under the microscope with the news that the GAA, although its Central Council revenues rose by €1m to €64m, had last year suffered a decrease in gate receipts of €5m compared to 2007.

This was spread over the football championship, which lost €2m, the hurling championship (€1m) and the national leagues, down €2m.

These losses were, however, largely offset by a rise of €4m in commercial revenues. Nearly 80 per cent of all revenues were redistributed to other units within the association.

Duffy also expressed his support for the experimental disciplinary rules currently being trialled in the national leagues and which come up for congress approval next month.

“I fully support proposals that seek to eliminate negative play in our games – pulling down, tripping, illegal body-collides, tackling around the neck and aggressive remonstration with match officials. Regardless of the outcome of Congress’s deliberations, I have no doubt that the experimental period was worthwhile and that, in the longer term, it will influence our perceptions of obstructive fouling in our games.”

Among the other issues raised in his report is last January's Late Late Showdedicated to the GAA's 125th anniversary, which drew wide criticism from within the association.

“The Celebrating 125 Years of the GAA programme of events started with a Late, Late Show Special. Two hours of prime-time Friday-night television should have been a fitting inauguration of the celebrations. However, it’s difficult to avoid the sense that this was an opportunity missed: the remit for the programme was narrower than we would have wished and thus proved a disappointment, failing to meet the expectations of its huge audience.”

He also expressed his doubts about the future of the inter-provincial competitions, which the association has struggled to accommodate in its fixtures schedules and which he feels should be laid to rest.

“Given that television now showcases our best players on a regular basis in other competitions, I do not see that the inter-provincial championships offer a genuine promotional tool for the association. Whether played at home or abroad, the competitions are expensive to stage and, in a time of recession and cutbacks, competitions that are not, at the very least, self-financing must be questioned.”