Nothing compensates for the jersey

All Star tour: Ian O'Riordan talks to the Clare's Davy Fitzgerald about the thorny issue of pay-for-play

Sentosa Island on the southwest of Singapore is far more conducive to surf and sun worshipping and maybe a little beach volleyball, and yet that's exactly where the conversation among some of the most experienced GAA players in Ireland turned to pay-for-play.

As Clare goalkeeper Davy Fitzgerald took a break from the afternoon beach excursion, the main event of yesterday's itinerary on the All Star tour, he presented what was apparently the mood of his fellow hurlers - that the GAA has come as far as possible without turning professional, and yet he'd still hate to see pay-for-play.

Fitzgerald started out by admitting that Cork's claim on two-in-a-row All-Ireland titles has taken hurling to a whole new level, and yet it's obvious that no other hurling county would take the next step without some form of compensation.

"Cork have brought a new professionalism to it in every aspect of their game - their training, their diet, their preparation," said Fitzgerald. "They're an unreal team and they have to be admired. But having said that, when you're up there to be admired you're also up there to be taken down and we'll be trying. We have a way to go to meet them, but in 2006 we'll be trying to take them down.

"That's the way it's gone and you have to look at it realistically. You're out training four nights a week and then lads are doing stuff on their own, some lads are going and getting professionals to help them and you don't get much spare time.

"If you're serious about this game you can forget about your social life for six months, and that's being straight up."

Fitzgerald's comments, however, were in no way influenced by the fact that he was on the losing 2005 side in last Saturday's All Star exhibition game in Singapore. His own dedication to Clare hurling, which is entering its 16th year, speaks for itself.

"That's a big sacrifice and we are coming pretty close to the line. From my own personal point of view I'd hate to see it going professional, I wouldn't like to see that. But certainly there has to be an in-between line where players have to be compensated for the amount of effort that's going in. You could easily knock about 30 hours a week into it at this stage and certainly a lot of professionals aren't doing that."

Fitzgerald won All-Irelands with Clare in 1995 and again in 1997, and is genuinely heartfelt when saying he would always wear the Clare jersey purely for the love of it and, in that sense, professionalism would ruin the game. While he doesn't agree with calls for the GAA to start paying elite players, there is clearly an enduring opening for further compensation.

"They're doing it for nothing now so money doesn't come into it. When you're going out there to play in front of 50,000 people, I certainly don't want money. I love playing for Clare and that's being honest and it wouldn't matter to me about doing it for money. But lads are losing out pocket-wise and that will have to be worked on."

Fitzgerald's opinions are held in high regard among his team mates, and he is known to have a strong influence on the Gaelic Players Association.

"I'll be 16 years on the go now and you'd be thinking 'just one more All-Ireland'," he added. "We came so close last year and my reaction afterwards was how hard it was not getting there. There's a bit of hope - we have a few good young lads coming up with us. People are saying we have an oldish team and there are four or five lads who've hung around a bit too long, myself included.

"But the young lads are good. They're dedicated and it's great to see from a Clare point of view. The boys are at it already and I wish them all the best. We're thinking about them out here. We'll be back with them on Friday night," said Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald would never back against his own county, but outside Clare he sees plenty of talent. "Look, next year Cork are the team, end of story."

At a Vodafone lunch earlier in the day, Séamus Roche from Tipperary and Michael Monahan from Kildare both received their GAA Referee Awards for 2005. The presentation was made by the president of the GAA Seán Kelly and Vodafone's Director of Brand and Marketing, Helen Marks.

These presentations have become a feature of the annual All Stars tour. Pat McEnaney and Aodán MacSuibhne were honoured in Hong Kong last year, while John Bannon and Mac Suibhne were presented with their awards in 2002 in San Diego.

Roche, who took charge of the exhibition game between the 2004 and 2005 All Star selections, refereed his first All-Ireland senior hurling final last year and is the best known of the new generation of top flight hurling referees.

Monaghan has been refereeing at the highest level for the past seven years and is now one of the most respected referees in football. Taking charge of the All-Ireland final between Tyrone and Kerry last September was the highlight of his career so far.

He was a prominent footballer with his club, Raheens, in Kildare and was a member of the team that won the Leinster club title in 1982 when he lined out at midfield.