Gaelic Players Association (GPA) chief executive Tom Parsons believes the GAA remains committed to delivering the integration of the three Gaelic games associations in 2027.
The integration process has proved challenging and the stated ambition of having the three organisations under the one umbrella by the end of next year appeared to hit a significant roadblock last December when the GAA’s management committee suggested 2027 was now not practical.
The minutes from December’s meeting stated: “The consensus of Coiste Bainistiochta was that 2027 represents an unrealistic target for full and complete integration.
“Their considered view was that a phased implementation would represent a more measured approach in order to better manage any risks and accommodate any reasonable reservations.”
READ MORE
Mary McAleese, chair of the Steering Group on Integration (SGI), rejected the committee’s judgment and has remained hopeful the target will be achieved.
Nonetheless, the comments from members of the management committee indicated at least some of the association’s leading officials do not believe the GAA, Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) and Camogie Association will have a formal integration model in place for 2027.
Despite that, the GPA’s understanding is that the GAA are committed to achieving a 2027 breakthrough on the matter.
Speaking at the launch of the GPA’s ‘Playbook 2026-2028’, Parsons was upbeat on the subject.
The GPA’s Playbook is built around five key pillars, one of which is titled ‘Players Powering Integration’.
“They are minutes of a meeting, that’s not a formal position set,” said Parsons regarding the comments from the December meeting of the GAA’s management committee.
“That’s not a set out factual position from the GAA. Until it is, we won’t be challenging it. That’s maybe a pessimistic view of a committee that has got out there publicly.
“We’d like even more members of Management and Central Council and the GAA and community leadership to come out and say the opposite. As far as I’m concerned, the GAA’s timelines are still 2027.
“We just have to take it as face value rather than an extract of an opinion shared from the Management Committee. There’s definitely nothing in it to say that that’s a formal position that’s been taken by the GAA.”
An integration roadshow – which began on Thursday night in Croke Park – will visit the four provinces over the next month to outline progress so far.
“I think we need to keep our foot on the gas. There’s a lot of movement already in this space,” the former Mayo footballer added. “There’s a commitment made by the NGBs (non-governmental bodies) publicly to Government in the Oireachtas committees that for 2027 there’s going to be one GAA.
“The GAA have presented at Central Council a broad outline of what the structures will look like.
“We have to take it at face value until we’re told otherwise that integration will happen in 2027. So we have to trust that that’s the date it will happen. Nobody has said that that won’t happen.
“I think the stakeholders, the membership, the real membership – the clubs, the players – won’t accept anything other than 2027.”
GAA president Jarlath Burns previously suggested the cost of integration could be in the region of €500 million.
However, Parsons does not believe money should be an impediment in delaying the historic merger.
“That hasn’t come from a formal report as far as I’m aware, I haven’t seen the legitimacy behind that,” he said of the €500-million estimate.
“To do everything perfect could cost double that. If you wanted perfect facilities for men and women that every player and young person has access to and no limitations on access to quality pitches.
“We’re making the facilities, the games, the training happen. How long is a piece of string? Of course there needs to be investment, of course the Government will get behind it.
“I’m not going to dispute anything [in terms of Burns’ financial estimate]. It’s going to need investment for sure, but I don’t think the investment is the blocker that should stop it.”
One of the other five areas of focus in the GPA’s Playbook is ‘Players Growing the Games’, which seeks to increase player visibility and encourage them to bring their personalities to media and supporter engagement.
In that arena, the issue of Allianz’s links with Israel has caused unease among players, given the company’s sponsorship of the National Leagues.
Parsons has been liaising with the GAA to ensure players are not placed in uncomfortable positions during post-match interviews where Allianz branding is present.
“It’s so emotive for everybody in Ireland,” said Parsons of the situation in Gaza.
“From our perspective, the number one thing immediately was just to protect players in that instance, and to make sure that if any player is picking up an award or they’re doing a post-match interview that they’re giving absolute consent that they’re standing behind an Allianz banner that might represent something that they don’t represent.
“Consent is really important, we’ve communicated that to the GAA. In the first round they just removed any backdrop (referencing) Allianz, and as recently as this week I was again talking to the GAA about just reinforcing the message on consent.
“And some players have said, ‘Look, I’m totally focused on my game, I’ll stand behind any banner’, so it’s very personal, but I think that’s really important that players give consent.”
