Croke Park hierarchy to probe Donegal GAA

With a forensic examination of Donegal GAA set to begin as early as next week, there will be further efforts to return Karl Lacey to the role of Head of Academy.

A special meeting of the Donegal County Committee on Thursday night - which lasted until almost 12.30am - heard that a high-powered external team is set to begin investigations.

It comes in the wake of the recent collapse of the Donegal GAA Academy structure. 

The terms of reference of the probe are expected to be broad and go beyond the academy issue. 

Monaghan showdown brought the end for Paddy Carr, Co Board discuss future with O’Rourke

A meeting of the Donegal county committee on Thursday night heard how a meeting with three senior players on Tuesday spelled the end for Paddy Carr with the Donegal County Board set to meet with Aidan O'Rourke again on Monday

First, Lacey, the 2012 All-Ireland winner and four-time All-Star who was the Head of Donegal Academy, resigned in early February, citing ‘a lack of support’. Eight days later, over 30 coaches from the Donegal GAA Academy left their roles in a show of solidarity with Lacey.

In a statement by the coaches, they said they ‘have lost confidence in the governance of Donegal GAA’.

On Thursday night, a sub committee was selected and tasked with meeting the 2012 Footballer of the Year to explore a possible return.

The Head of Academy vacancy has been put on hold for two weeks.

Delegates at Thursday’s meeting were told that County Board officials have met with the GAA’s Director General Tom Ryan, GAA President Larry McCarthy and Ulster Council President Ciaran McLaughlin.

An independent review has now been commissioned and the probe into a debacle that has beset the county over recent months is likely to begin in earnest.

At Thursday’s meeting - which was held in the absence of the media - clubs were told that officials would address ‘recent media/publications surrounding the Academy’.  

“It is not going to be comfortable,” club delegates were informed. “People will come in and ask us some difficult questions.”

Some of those present questioned how detailed the investigation would be and were told it would be a ‘forensic examination’ and would be ‘wide ranging’.

County Board officials are believed to have expressed their anger at media coverage of the academy’s crumbling with one saying it had done ‘untold damage to Donegal’.

Concern has also been raised about the knock-on effects with a leading official believed to have said that ‘not a red cent’ has been raised in fundraising this year.

Fergus McGee, the Donegal GAA Chairperson, branded some media coverage as ‘a disgrace’ after Donegal had been, in his words, ‘ridiculed’.

Donegal GAA released a statement on Friday morning, which confirmed that ‘a pathway forward for the Donegal GAA Academy’ was agreed and confirmed a wish for Lacey and his coaches to reconsider their positions.

“We would hope that we will lay the foundations for a progressive future, for the Donegal underage development structures,” the statement read.

“ As has been widely acknowledged in recent months by many in Donegal GAA circles, our academy has been one of the most innovative in terms of coaching and athletic development in Ireland. At this point we as a County Committee wish to thank the academy and in particular, former Head of Academy, Karl Lacey for the outstanding progress that the academy has made to date. 

“We wish to clearly state that there is no suggestion of any misconduct relating to Karl or academy personnel. We also most strongly caution against and condemn any such suggestion. All finances and governance of the academy have always been the sole responsibility of the County Committee. 

“We look forward to working through the recent issues with our academy personnel and building on the great work achieved until this point. We once again thank Karl Lacey for his outstanding and exemplary efforts to date, as a strong role model for all that is good in our games. 

“We wish to state it is the express wish of our County Committee that Karl and the coaches would return and we are working hard and are hopeful that they will reconsider their positions. We acknowledge this has been a difficult time for all concerned. The GAA in Donegal should be a place where excellence is the standard and that we all play our part in ensuring this happens.”