Facilities & integration high on agenda as Leitrim GAA look to the future
Former GAA President calls on wider GAA community to take part in online survey as part of fully independent committee review of the structures of Leitrim GAA
The subject is topical right now but facilities are high on the agenda of GAA people in Leitrim according to former GAA President Liam O’Neill as he urges anyone with an interest in gaelic games to take part in an online survey to help determine the future plans of the organisation in the county.
O’Neill is heading up a fully independent committee to review the structures of Leitrim GAA before reporting back to the County Board. So far, the review committee have met with 20 different groups to get their feedback on the challenges facing Leitrim GAA clubs and the county and what can be done to meet those challenges.
With the committee's review now entering its concluding stages, the review group is now conducting a public survey to offer any supporters or interested parties who may not have had an opportunity up to now a chance to feed into the process.
Sunday’s postponement of a Connacht Club Semi-Final will have people talking about the subject but according to Liam, Leitrim’s GAA community is well aware of that along with the issue of the integration of the GAA and the LGFA in future years.
Speaking to the Observer, Liam is highly impressed by the passion for gaelic games in Leitrim: “One thing that does come across is that Leitrim is a GAA mad county - the level of interest, the level of commitment to gaelic games in Leitrim is just unbelievable. The geography of the county, the location of the county, the population of the county and the location of that population, all those things that are inhibitors.
“But there is nothing there that a change in attitude, a change in ways of doing things that couldn’t be improved. I think there is optimism within Leitrim.”
To help the Review committee get the widest possible consultation, they have launched an online survey and Liam is urging everyone to take the time to do it: “The survey is a relatively easy thing to do, if you try not to write a book on each of your suggestions, you can get it done quite easily. We would encourage people to spread the word around because the more people do it and make suggestions, the more valuable the suggestions are.
“We’ve been meeting groups and individuals over the past few months. We have consulted widely, we have a few groups still to consult but we’re hoping that people will fill this survey. When people think of Leitrim, they think of football but we would be encouraging people in Ladies football, camogie and hurling to have their say.”
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE PART IN THE ONLINE SURVEY, SIMPLY CLICK HERE.
So what have been the topics coming up in the meetings Liam and his committee have had so far: “There was concern about finances and raising finances to keep up with those who are better off. There would be a bit of concern on pitches, obviously a bit of concern about the issue of ladies football v men’s football considering that Leitrim was a power in ladies football at one stage. The one organisation model, the majority of people are in favour of it but there is a fear because people just don’t know what it is going to look like.”
Integration of the LGFA and GAA is, Liam agrees, not a simple issue: “It is the one community and at the end of the day, who would lose in a situation where we would all unite? The One Good Club model is the right way to go but it is a little bit more complicated at times than people think.
“A Ladies team might take players from different club catchment areas but when it comes to paying their membership, in which club do they have the right to vote? There are some conundrums like that we have to overcome. It is not that we can’t do it, we can of course do it but it requires a change to what is already there. At least the good news is that we are sitting down talking.”
Common sense is a phrase that pops up frequently when chatting to the Laois official and it pops up in relation to the use of and access to playing facilities: “Some people will say, in a county where gaelic football is stronger than the other three codes, that they will take over all the pitches but most of our pitches are being under-used.
“It is inconceivable to expect in a county where football is dominant and there is a very small hurling group, that the hurling would get the pitch at the prime times on Tuesday and Thursdays.
“A little bit of common sense and goodwill will be needed on that but there are clubs in Dublin who have to do the equivalent of a school timetable to make sure everyone gets a fair crack of the whip.”
Liam believes a lot of GAA pitches are not being used enough: “I’ve made the point several times that I’ve driven past pitches that I've never seen a game on. They only have one team - my own club pitch is used max four times a week because we have only one team.
“In my own club, we make our pitch available to camogie because it is under used so there are plenty of pitches where there is not a problem and it requires a bit of good will. A pitch in the summer can be going for four or five hours an evening. People are home at 5pm, the U8s could be there or whatever way it goes.
“People will certainly have to change their mindset but I think it is inconceivable that you could go to a family with two girls and two boys and say ‘you know what, we’re only going to look after the boys’. That day is gone, the modern family expects you to look after all the family.”
One other issue that has been raised concerns among the public is the issue of discipline and behaviour at games: “When you look around you in the sporting world, I think gaelic games are doing really well. A little bit of concern about behaviour at times, that was an issue raised as well, it was mentioned and it is a consideration for people.
“I think people are quicker to get angry now than they were a few years ago - whether that is down to Covid, down to the isolation or whatever it is down to, the anger threshold is higher and there is a bigger sense of entitlement than I ever witnessed in my life.
“I taught for 40 years, children want to play games. After a game, it is not as big a deal to a child as it is to an adult. Paudie Butler, a great hurling coach, said that to a child, winning and losing is in the moment. They go home, mix with their friends and they forget about the game. It is not a drama but it is for the adults who invest so much in it and think they’re entitled to get a winning performance from players who just might not be capable of it.”
If you wish to take part in the Structures Review committee’s survey, all you have to do is simply click on the Leitrim GAA website or click HERE.