GAA Double Standards
I have been watching with interest the developments in London in relation to the decision to allow the Irish Guards to form a GAA team; a decision which I assume was ratified by GAA Central Council in Croke Park. To those unfamiliar with British Military history, The Irish Guards regiment was formed on 1 April 1900 by order of Queen Victoria to commemorate the Irishmen who fought in the Second Boer War for the British Empire. It is in short a regiment of the British Army. Of course since the removal of 'Rule 21' in 2001 this is perfectly acceptable and as a democratic decision it is therefore one that all GAA members will have to stomach. However do those who sanctioned this see no irony in allowing the Irish Guards to take part in Gaelic games whilst at the same time not affording all Irish citizens the same right? I would like to draw the readers' attention to the irony I speak of. This is the fact that the GAA have sanctioned the playing of Gaelic games by members of the British Army but have outlawed the playing of the same games by Irish men over the age of 40. The GAA have for some years now refused to be associated with the Gaelic Masters competition which sees players aged 40 and over represent their county in an all-Ireland competition. A decision was made at congress to remove the masters from the GAA's official list of competitions.
After being cast aside by the GAA a number of dedicated master's players set up the Gaelic Master's Association to facilitate the playing of master's football at inter-county level. Master's football is well and truly alive but as a separate organisation not affiliated to the GAA. 2015 saw Galway win the All Ireland Gaelic Master's Cup and Tyrone win the Master's Shield. Therefore what we have now are players who have played club and county football for their whole lives paying their own insurance to play Gaelic football. The GAA therefore have effectively banned men who are currently players, officers of their clubs, committee members, team managers, coaches and referees. These men, the lifeblood of the organisation, instead of being cherished and lauded are being shown nothing but contempt.
In my own County of Tyrone, players have been treated with derision by some members of the County Board. Two years ago a decision was made at executive level not to allow pictures or reports from Master's games to be posted on the Tyrone GAA official website. Material already on the site was removed before Tyrone appeared in the 2013 All Ireland Master's Final. One officer of the board laughed at a player and pointed out to him that he did not represent the county. Another board officer advised one Tyrone club not to allow a master's game to be played on their ground. Similar disrespect has been shown to many of the county teams including Mayo, Galway, Cavan and Monaghan. What the GAA has in effect done here is to exercise double standards in the interest of good politics. Those representing the Irish Guards stated in a recent interview in The Irish News that they were keen to take part in a 'strong, physical game that would suit them'. Gaelic football is indeed the type of game they speak of and I wish them luck in becoming exponents of these very necessary qualities of the game. However, again I am at a loss because one of the reasons given by the GAA to justify cutting its ties with master's football was the sometimes 'physical' nature of the games. I hope the Irish Guards Commander in Chief, British Royal, the Duke of Cambridge(Prince William), is not as shocked as our GAA 'commanders' by the 'strong physical game' he will surely be exposed to at some future date. It will also be interesting to see if any of the Irish Guards who line out are over 40.
What I appeal for from the GAA is not special treatment for master's players but the same equality that is extended to servants of the crown. The GAA in London has called this a step forward, but to me it represents many of the 'steps forward' in GAA history whereby the ordinary people are ignored and the more powerful indulged in the name of political expediency. Surely it is time for the GAA to realise it has made a grave error with the masters', to apologise for this error and to take steps to bring the masters' competition back into the official GAA calendar.
Gavan Mc Elroy
Masters' Player
Carrickmore
County Tyrone.
I have been watching with interest the developments in London in relation to the decision to allow the Irish Guards to form a GAA team; a decision which I assume was ratified by GAA Central Council in Croke Park. To those unfamiliar with British Military history, The Irish Guards regiment was formed on 1 April 1900 by order of Queen Victoria to commemorate the Irishmen who fought in the Second Boer War for the British Empire. It is in short a regiment of the British Army. Of course since the removal of 'Rule 21' in 2001 this is perfectly acceptable and as a democratic decision it is therefore one that all GAA members will have to stomach. However do those who sanctioned this see no irony in allowing the Irish Guards to take part in Gaelic games whilst at the same time not affording all Irish citizens the same right? I would like to draw the readers' attention to the irony I speak of. This is the fact that the GAA have sanctioned the playing of Gaelic games by members of the British Army but have outlawed the playing of the same games by Irish men over the age of 40. The GAA have for some years now refused to be associated with the Gaelic Masters competition which sees players aged 40 and over represent their county in an all-Ireland competition. A decision was made at congress to remove the masters from the GAA's official list of competitions.
After being cast aside by the GAA a number of dedicated master's players set up the Gaelic Master's Association to facilitate the playing of master's football at inter-county level. Master's football is well and truly alive but as a separate organisation not affiliated to the GAA. 2015 saw Galway win the All Ireland Gaelic Master's Cup and Tyrone win the Master's Shield. Therefore what we have now are players who have played club and county football for their whole lives paying their own insurance to play Gaelic football. The GAA therefore have effectively banned men who are currently players, officers of their clubs, committee members, team managers, coaches and referees. These men, the lifeblood of the organisation, instead of being cherished and lauded are being shown nothing but contempt.
In my own County of Tyrone, players have been treated with derision by some members of the County Board. Two years ago a decision was made at executive level not to allow pictures or reports from Master's games to be posted on the Tyrone GAA official website. Material already on the site was removed before Tyrone appeared in the 2013 All Ireland Master's Final. One officer of the board laughed at a player and pointed out to him that he did not represent the county. Another board officer advised one Tyrone club not to allow a master's game to be played on their ground. Similar disrespect has been shown to many of the county teams including Mayo, Galway, Cavan and Monaghan. What the GAA has in effect done here is to exercise double standards in the interest of good politics. Those representing the Irish Guards stated in a recent interview in The Irish News that they were keen to take part in a 'strong, physical game that would suit them'. Gaelic football is indeed the type of game they speak of and I wish them luck in becoming exponents of these very necessary qualities of the game. However, again I am at a loss because one of the reasons given by the GAA to justify cutting its ties with master's football was the sometimes 'physical' nature of the games. I hope the Irish Guards Commander in Chief, British Royal, the Duke of Cambridge(Prince William), is not as shocked as our GAA 'commanders' by the 'strong physical game' he will surely be exposed to at some future date. It will also be interesting to see if any of the Irish Guards who line out are over 40.
What I appeal for from the GAA is not special treatment for master's players but the same equality that is extended to servants of the crown. The GAA in London has called this a step forward, but to me it represents many of the 'steps forward' in GAA history whereby the ordinary people are ignored and the more powerful indulged in the name of political expediency. Surely it is time for the GAA to realise it has made a grave error with the masters', to apologise for this error and to take steps to bring the masters' competition back into the official GAA calendar.
Gavan Mc Elroy
Masters' Player
Carrickmore
County Tyrone.