| Mar is eol díobh, is "Cat ó dhúchais" mise agus dá bhrí sin, is onóir dom fáilte a fhearadh romhaibh uilig go cathair maorga stairiúil Chill Chainnigh. Níl dabht agam ach go mbainfidh sibh taitneamh as bhur gcuairt anseo. Tá bliain an-ghnóthach caite agus is fíor a rá gur bhliain dhúshlánach í freisin ar na páirceanna imeartha agus taobh amuigh. Níl dabht ach go mbeidh orainn bheith aireach arís ‘sna blianta atá romhainn. Mar sin, táim ag súil go mbeidh obair éifeachtach idir lámha againn agus muid ag cur is ag cúiteamh an deireadh seachtaine seo.
I extend a warm welcome to all Congress delegates to the Marble City and I hope you enjoy your short visit to my county. In what has been a most enjoyable yet challenging first year of my Presidency, I am pleased that much has been achieved by our Association. I will deal today with the key issues of the past year and map out some of the challenges which we face in the year ahead.
Player Issues In my inaugural address to you last year I stated that player welfare was one of my key priorities. I am very pleased with the significant number of initiatives that have taken place and in the ongoing dialogue and interaction with the GPA. In that period, Paraic Duffy was appointed as the National Player Welfare Manager with a clear brief and mandate. Paraic now acts as the liaison person between players, their representatives, County Committees and Coiste Bainistí on day-to-day player welfare issues and associated concerns. This has led to a greater understanding of the needs of players on an individual and collective basis, the role and responsibilities of County Committees and the structure and mechanism in which issues, as they arise, can be addressed effectively and efficiently from a premise of mutual respect and understanding rather than suspicion and confrontation. To facilitate this we have launched a bulk text messaging service plus email communications to our Senior Inter-County Players, Team Doctors, Team Managers, Referees and Officials on a range of player welfare issues which include anti-doping rules, player welfare, nutrition, advice on hydration supplements, etc... In that period, substantive and specific initiatives have been launched and are currently in progress. These include the development of guidelines on heart screening which has started with a pilot study of 400 Inter-County players and the provision of facilities for all our players to complete a questionnaire which may give an early indication of heart related medical problems. A policy has been formulated as are guidelines on improving medical facilities in our grounds generally as well as the use of defibrillators and associated training in all our grounds. We are working with UCD to establish and monitor the incidence of player injuries and related costs in our games. We are in the process of creating a benevolent fund for players with particular hardship as well as improving and enhancing our player injury insurance scheme and standardising our approach to the implementation of player entitlements effectively and expeditiously. We will be introducing an enhanced scholarship scheme later this year and we are addressing the serious issues of player burn out plus the delivery of a meaningful programme of games for clubs and their players.
The subject of player welfare cannot be effectively addressed by Croke Park alone. It is a matter that also requires the collective attention of all our county units. In this context I wish to remind you that under rule counties are required to establish a County Panels Finance Committee. I referred already to the proposals and recommendations of the Medical, Scientific & Welfare Committee in regard to improving medical facilities in our grounds. The time has now come for consistent and general action in this area and I am requesting you to give it immediate focus.
In tandem with these initiatives we have been engaged in ongoing discussions with the GPA in areas of fundamental interest and concern to them. The main focus has been possible Government funding for player welfare expenditure and the potential recognition of the GPA as a primary player representative body. In the case of Government funding both the Association and the GPA held discussions on a separate basis with the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism and his Departmental representatives. Despite public pronouncements attributed to Government sources, we have had difficulty in achieving clarity or the required confirmation of what precise funding would potentially be made available and how precisely any such funding would be allocated and could be administered within the norms, guidelines and regulations generally applied by the Controller and Auditor General in respect of exchequer funding. In this context we have been informed that funding could potentially be forthcoming from three separate departmental subheads, Sports Capital Funding, Games Development Funding and Sports Council Funding, which from a GAA perspective would be conditional on being additional to any funding the Association currently receives and which would be administered by the Association.
No other sports organisation is allocated athletic grants in this way or from a variety of different subheads regulated for such disparate purposes. However, our Association was of the view that if there was a possibility that finance from the Government might be forthcoming we had an obligation to pursue the matter and to accept the Minister's invitation to make a submission.
The submission was sent in the name of Cumann Lúthchleas Gael with the support of the GPA. It was done with the approval of Coiste Bainistí following consideration of the collective issues involved and following a presentation and discussion on the matter at Central Council. Contrary to doubts expressed in some quarters, the fundamental dynamics were do we ignore or reject a suggestion from senior Government sources that they were prepared to make additional finance available for player welfare and could this finance be expended on players without undermining the fundamental tenet of our Association, its amateur status. We are happy that both fundamentals are addressed in our submission and will be addressed in any future administration involved. It has been done on the basis that any funding forthcoming will be additional to funding currently being allocated to the Association from the exchequer, that there will be a guarantee of continuity on an annual basis, that it will apply to expenditure being incurred by Inter-County panels of 30 players and be an addition to any player welfare expenditure currently being met by our Association. In this regard I must stress that in excess of €18M was spent by county units on player related activities last year, plus another €7.2M by way of payments to players from the GAA Player Injury Scheme. We now await a response from the Minister and his Department in relation to our submission.
The discussions on recognition of the GPA as a primary representative body for players are ongoing. They are taking place in an environment of mutual trust and understanding. Of necessity, the process must, and will take some time, probably up to the end of this year as the issues are broad and the implications fundamental. They are taking place on the clear understanding that the amateur status and ethos of our Association cannot in any way be undermined or compromised. They can only be brought to a mutually acceptable conclusion if a workable agreement evolves whereby the administration of the Association can operate and progress for the general benefit of all our players and members while respecting the rights and contribution of our inter-county players.
I am happy that we have made significant progress in the past twelve months in addressing player welfare and player concerns and I am hopeful that in my term of office we will walk forward together in an environment of unity and commitment which will underpin the future health and status of our Association.
The GAA Club
The levels of commitment, volunteerism and loyalty I have witnessed as I travelled around the country has been most heart-warming. Our clubs continue to be at the centre of every community, be that rural or urban. Right now we face many challenges. Both partners in the house are more often than not working outside the home, with the added responsibility of child care. Commuting to work becomes a bigger challenge every day and our society is infested with drugs, alcohol and violence at levels previously unknown. Carnage on our roads has brought incredible sadness to many families and sedentary pastimes are fast becoming a national issue. The challenge of running a GAA club when placed against such a background is not easy. Therefore, with so much stress in our everyday lives the value of sport and recreation was never more important. We are an Association which is deeply embedded in every community and we now have an even greater responsibility to provide games and leisure activities for everyone in those communities. Volunteerism lies at the core of what we are all about and I remain confident that every community has the people who are happy to volunteer in some capacity at their local GAA club.
The provision of an adequate games programme for club players continues to be an issue which is regularly raised. I believe the situation has improved over the past few years in many counties but a serious issue remains with the scheduling of games which are often crammed into relatively short periods of time. I recognize the seriousness of this matter and a discussion document is being drafted at present which will outline a number of ways the current dilemma can be relieved so as to give clubs greater access to their inter-county players and to ensure a more regular and consistent games programme. There is no simple solution and it will take some radical thinking to adequately address the problems. I appeal to all units to give serious consideration to this document when it is published as I want to see proposals on the Clár at next year's Congress which will finally deal with this issue.
Discipline
The Árd Stiurthóir dealt at length in his report with the subject of indiscipline in our Association and I am in full agreement with him. We continue to have an unacceptable level of misbehaviour in our games, particularly at club level and this cannot and will not be tolerated. Referees are under strict instructions not to tolerate any level of indiscipline. Our Association has implemented new structures to deal with disciplinary matters, however, I am concerned at the number of cases coming before the Hearings and Appeals Committees and ultimately on to the DRA at central level. Players and Officials too often look for a procedural or technical loophole to clear a player and now it seems even yellow cards are being challenged. With similar structures in operation throughout the country, I am concerned that our experiences at national level will ultimately be replicated at all other levels of our Association. These structures are extremely demanding on people's time and will need to be monitored over the next twelve months as to their effectiveness.
Administration of Association
We have witnessed much change in the administration structures of our Association with the employment of a number of new full time County Secretaries / Administrators and the opening of County Board offices. More such appointments are imminent. While the administrative workload at county level has undoubtedly increased, I am concerned that some of the appointees may simply continue the role undertaken by voluntary officials in the past. It is imperative that full time appointees assume a much wider brief with a clear focus on strategic developments relating to for example games development, club organisation and development and infrastructural developments throughout their county. The funding of these posts will place a burden on all counties and I believe there may be a strong case for a significant annual subvention from Árd Comhairle. Such an initiative would be appropriate I believe provided that these full time County Officials commit to attending regular monthly meetings with the Árd Stiurthóir, Provincial Secretaries and other senior personnel from Páirc an Chrócaigh to ensure that key strategic initiatives approved by Árd Comhairle are understood and implemented in every county. This I believe would be a more appropriate way of ensuring the consistent and timely implementation of Association policy across all county units.
I am also of the view that the four home-based Provincial Secretaries should be employees of Árd Comhairle (and be called Provincial Directors), where they would be part of the central GAA management structure reporting to the Árd Stiurthóir. The current Provincial Secretaries are very experienced individuals and insufficient use is being made of this expertise in formulating and directing Association policy. They would of course continue to be based at their Provincial Offices and continue to have a direct reporting line to their Provincial Council and to the Provincial Cathaoirleach, in addition to their primary reporting source, the Árd Stiurthóir.
The fact remains that we are inconsistent and sometimes haphazard in implementing national policy across our Association and a more coordinated and streamlined approach with direct involvement from officials at Central, Provincial and County levels would enhance the delivery and implementation of strategic initiatives and overall policy as approved by Árd Comhairle.
Croke Park Stadium
We have now experienced four non-GAA games in Croke Park and I congratulate our stadium staff on the manner in which they managed each event. Non-GAA people who attended the games left with a greater understanding, admiration and appreciation of what our amateur Association has achieved with our community based games structure and the impressive Croke Park stadium. I realize that the opening of Croke Park to other sports was an emotive issue for many of our members, but it is now time to move on and focus all our energies on the many challenges that lie ahead.
I welcome the recent decision of An Bórd Pleanála to allow the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road to proceed and I wish the IRFU & FAI the very best with their project. I cannot predict when the current arrangement with the IRFU & FAI will finish but I can assure you delegates that we will be closely monitoring events across the city. It is important to note the following:
The 2005 Congress decision allows Árd Comhairle to grant permission beyond 2008, without having to revert back to Congress, subject of course to no issues emerging with the redevelopment work. Once the Lansdowne Road redevelopment has been completed and the IRFU & FAI return there to play their games, the 2005 Congress decision lapses and Rule 42 reverts to its original status. The first series of games was not even completed in Croke Park when there was comment and speculation in regard to other grounds and the post completion of Lansdowne Road potential requirements for Soccer and Rugby. I can assure you that this has not been contemplated or discussed by us in any forum and is not part of what we envisage in our philosophy and in the management of our Associations affairs. Indeed, I will shortly be referring to the Croke Park pitch and I will be illustrating that there is only so much it or indeed any pitch can sustain in terms of our own multi-use requirements. In that context we will have to be realistic and prudent as to the boundaries that our hospitality can extend to, even in the period while Lansdowne Road is being redeveloped.
Croke Park Pitch
Following some internal discussions, our Association engaged the services of two independent consultants in late 2006 to conduct a detailed technical survey of the Croke Park pitch. We also engaged the services of a technical expert to facilitate the discussions between ourselves and those consultants. A lot of common findings emerged from the two consultant's reports. It is important to point out that the Desso ® Grassmaster technology which is used in the Croke Park pitch will require a significant level of reconstruction within the next four to five years as a matter of course. This is in line with the guarantees given some years ago when the pitch was initially constructed. In the meantime, a level of remedial work involving an aggressive maintenance programme will commence on Monday 23rd April and will be completed in advance of the first championship games on the 20th May. Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) has been appointed consultants to the GAA relating to all aspects of the Croke Park pitch and we will also be appointing a contractor following a tender process in the next two weeks.
Since the beginning of 2007 the Croke Park pitch has handled 37 separate events over 21 days and this includes games and training sessions for all the teams which played on the pitch in that time. This level of activity on the pitch cannot be sustained and that is why the programme of events for next year must be finalised pretty soon because I expect the pitch will most likely be out of action for a period of up to 60 days in 2008.
Additional Facilities for our Association Our Association is currently working with Campus Stadium Ireland towards the provision of playing pitches in Abbottstown. These pitches will be mainly used by Coiste Átha Cliath, but they will also be available to development squads in neighbouring counties plus schools and colleges. I am of the view that another stadium of 25,000 capacity is required in Dublin to cater for some national competitions, schools & college games plus of course the requirements of the Coiste Átha Cliath and the ever-growing population areas of the commuter belts in Meath, Louth and Kildare. The stadium should be all-seater, with appropriate quality flood lightning, while the installation of a roof should also be explored. Such a stadium should be modeled on Croke Park with appropriate levels of box and premium facilities commensurate with its size and capacity. We already have expertise within our Association from Páirc an Chrócaigh Teoranta to manage such a stadium to the highest possible standards. Although Cumann Lúthchleas Gael would make extensive use of this stadium for our own games and non-match day activities, it would make sound and practical sense to facilitate other sports in such a facility. I look forward to exploring this proposal with the relevant GAA parties and the Government in the coming months.
Information Technology
The lack of adequate I.T. systems at central level seriously militates against necessary control over our Association's resources, while a lack of quality information inhibits our ability to make appropriate management and business decisions in a timely manner. We have already begun to address this issue with the implementation of a new financial management system later this year. The technology to enable PCT to deliver adequate business services to stadium customers for both match day and non-match day activities will also be upgraded this year. In addition, we also need to implement new systems as a matter of urgency to handle a diverse range of activities in our Games Section, because the present method of recording and reporting is both cumbersome and time consuming. We have struggled to implement an effective system to handle membership within our Association, but I am very hopeful that this matter will finally be addressed in the coming year. We will therefore commit significant resources to the upgrading of our systems and I.T. technology over the next few years and I know our Director of Finance Tom Ryan is strongly committed to this development.
Organisation & Development
The Organisation and Development Committee will shortly publish a series of initiatives dealing with a variety of organisational developments throughout our Association and the upskilling of officials to meet the challenge of their roles. The Comhairle Programme has been of tremendous benefit to our members, but it needed to be re-evaluated in order to address many emerging issues facing our Association. In this regard I commend Comhairle Uladh for the development of a Club Accreditation Scheme and I am confident that this scheme can be adapted for implementation on a national level. Fundamental to any future developments in our Association is the need for all units to have a clear strategic direction where roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and where plans and targets are achievable and realistic.
Cultúr
Is mian liom buíochas a ghabháil do gach duine a chabhraigh chun aidhmeanna an Chumainn a bhaint amach. Tá dlúbhaint ag ár gCumann le hoidhreacht na tíre seo agus mar sin is ceart buíochas a ghabháil do na daoine a eagraíonn Scór agus do na daoine atá ag caomhnú traidisiúin is cultúr na tíre seo. Go mba fada buan ár gCumann.
Games & Games Development
This Congress will again debate a review of the hurling championship structures and once a decision is made on this matter I hope we will allow all senior competition structures to remain unaltered for at least five years. We will also debate the latest report from the Rule Book Task Force and this will include issues relating to some disciplinary aspects of our playing rules. While I am looking forward to hearing the debate, we may well require a more comprehensive look at our disciplinary rules with specific emphasis on the varied needs of Hurling and Gaelic Football.
It is imperative that all units give their full support to the implementation of the GAA Grassroots to National Programme (GNP) with regards to its roll out, achieving value for money and maximizing its sponsorship potential. The support for our GO Games and VHI Summer Camps in 2006 was most encouraging.
With the exception of a small number of counties our Association has had little engagement with Local Sports Partnerships and Local Authorities in the area of games development and the deployment of coaching personnel. I am asking all County Boards to establish immediate contact with these bodies to ensure our Association receives parity of esteem with other sports that are already availing of considerable support from these bodies.
Hurling Back in 1994 I gave a pessimistic address to Congress in relation to the state of hurling. I had genuine concerns for the state of the game and its future at that time. In the interim 13 years I firmly believe that the hurling vista has changed dramatically at grassroots level and that the seeds being sown will flower in the years ahead. Never in the history of our Association has so much effort, expertise and finance been committed to hurling. The records show that more people are playing hurling at this time than ever before and there has been a definite improvement in overall and general standards. In addition the three-tier inter-county championship structure has been a great success.
With over 30 personnel operating in a full time role, we have significant resources deployed to ensure that coaches in Clubs and Counties are adequately trained to deliver quality coaching to young hurlers. Many of our Clubs have built indoor hurling arenas, all weather pitches and hurling walls to help coach young players and I know our National Hurling Development Officer, Paudie Butler, is highly encouraged with these skill development facilities. We will continue to commit significant resources to hurling, but in all cases there must be clear and tangible targets and value for money with any projects. I am satisfied that most counties are committed to supporting the current hurling development programme, but I also know that in a few counties there is little or no support. As Paudie Butler enters the closing months of his first year, I look forward to presenting his first end of year report to Árd Comhairle.
I also wish to report that the Medical, Scientific and Welfare Committee made a recommendation to Coiste Bainistí that the compulsory use of helmets be extended to include all senior players by 2009. Coiste Bainistí has approved this proposal, which will be put before Congress next year. This is a logical and necessary progression from the introduction of compulsory helmets up to and including under 21 levels and will, I believe, if approved by Congress, reduce significantly incidents of avoidable injury, particularly eye injuries.
Gaelic Football
While our Association has rightly recognised the need to provide significant support to hurling, there is a need I believe to consider the specific needs of Gaelic Football also. Many people I speak to on the matter have expressed concerns at the way the game is being coached and played, with it appears less emphasis on the traditional skills of catching and kicking. Some games are now more akin to basketball than Gaelic Football. I fully accept that the game has evolved to a combination of many different skills, but I share the views of many that this should not be at the expense of the traditional great and attractive skills of the game. I will be pursuing this matter in the year ahead and we also need to consider if the appointment of a National Gaelic Football Development Officer, similar to the role currently undertaken by Paudie Butler for hurling might be appropriate.
Overseas
The past year saw significant development in our overseas units. The major news was the receipt of £250K and $100K towards our units in Britain and the USA respectively from the Government's Dion Fund. I want to express our Association's appreciation to the Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern and his officials for this generous support, which I am confident will continue in the future. Over the past number of months a strategic review of our Association throughout Britain was completed and I expect the final report to be ready shortly. In the North American Board territory we recently appointed four Development Officers in Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco thanks to the Dion funding, to promote and develop our games in club and school units. Dion Funding will also be made available to the New York Minor Board. One of the most exciting projects involving an overseas unit in recent times has been the redevelopment of Gaelic Park in New York. The New York GAA fraternity has experienced many false dawns and much frustration over the decades as they attempted to acquire a permanent home. Following discussions with Manhattan College last year we agreed a major redevelopment programme for Gaelic Park. This involved the laying of an all-weather pitch with flood lightning and the work will be completed in a couple of weeks. The entire project will cost in the region of $3M with Manhattan College and the GAA sharing the cost equally. Once we committed $1M towards the redevelopment cost from central GAA funds the atmosphere towards the project in New York completely changed. The New York Board was set a target of raising $0.5M towards the project and I expect this will be achieved shortly. I know from a recent visit to the city that there is great excitement among the clubs there at the Gaelic Park redevelopment. In addition to this project, we also had discussions recently with key officials from the New York City Council, including Speaker Christine Quinn, with a view to acquiring land for additional pitches. While these discussions are at an early stage, it is very encouraging to see the level of support coming from Speaker Quinn's office.
Great work is also being undertaken by GAA units throughout Europe, the AsiaPac regions and Australia. These areas are somewhat different to Britain and the USA in that the people involved tend to be staying for shorter periods; nevertheless, their commitment to supporting, playing and developing our native games is astonishing.
Marketing & Commercial
The past year saw our Association more directly involved in marketing and promoting our own games with our "Unrivalled" slogan receiving much favourable comment. The use of inter-county players in all marketing and promotion campaigns was a further welcome development. We have three major objectives in the coming year: To recognise the GAA brand as a major asset and to invest in its development and maintenance to ensure it maintains its relevance in the future. To compliment the brand review by helping the GAA reposition itself by joining with prestigious brands in the marketing of our games. To set out the GAA's priorities in terms of quantity, quality and presentation of the Radio and TV coverage of Gaelic Games and the level of support we give to the concept of competition for the next three years and within those criteria to maximize the GAA's exposure and revenue.
The above three objectives are of major commercial importance to our Association. Gaelic Games remain Ireland's top sports brand even when pitted against major international sports. Our games are deeply embedded in communities the length and breadth of the country and our attraction to commercial partners cannot be underestimated. Our brands and our games retain a serious commercial value and we will expect to realize this value in our upcoming commercial negotiations.
Human Resources
Significant progress was made at central level with staff reorganization projects in the past year. New staff appointments have brought a new dynamic to our operations at central level. Work planning, assessments and evaluations are now in place and there will be a much greater focus on the delivery of quality output from each section in the years ahead. I remain concerned though at the overall lack of HR management throughout the rest of our Association and I intend to address this matter in the year ahead. Infrastructural Developments Much work was undertaken in the past year assessing infrastructural developments at club and county levels and it is clear that a huge amount of projects are currently underway throughout the country. The views expressed by the Árd Stiurthóir relating to the possible sale of club grounds should be noted very carefully. Developments relating to inter-county grounds are causing me most concerns though and at two levels. The first relates to the upgrading of existing facilities and the second to the sale and relocation of existing grounds. It is of course important to have an upgrade programme for every county ground, but the emphasis must be on comfort and safety rather that increased capacity. I support the notion that some counties should sell their existing grounds and move to a location on the outskirts of the town. However, once again the economics relating to the capacity of any redevelopment must be seriously thought through. Our Association has not adequately managed the strategic redevelopment of county grounds in the past and I remain skeptical as to our ability to do so again in the coming years. There will be a clamour for funding from central level for the redevelopment of county grounds but this must only be forthcoming when the economics and practicality of any development have been thoroughly evaluated. Finally, it must be understood that no County Ground development can proceed without the formal approval of Árd Comhairle.
Strategic Initiatives
We are currently compiling a document for consideration by Árd Comhairle relating to key strategic initiatives relevant to our Association and how such initiatives should be funded. I am well aware that a commitment was given to invest the income from the rugby and soccer games at grass root level and I have said on many occasions that this is what will happen. There is clearly a growing need to develop additional facilities, particularly all-weather flood lit pitches, around the country and I am hearing this everywhere I travel. We have an all-year-round playing season now and some of our units (particularly schools & colleges) experience great problems trying to complete their games programmes in the winter time of the year. We have a responsibility to help alleviate this problem, at least to some degree. I have no doubt a variety of opinions will be expressed when the matter comes up for decision later this year.
Finance
With our gate receipt income remaining pretty flat we need some innovative thinking to grow our match attendances and we intend addressing this in the year ahead. The funding we receive from the Exchequer for games development is very important to our Association, however we will expect to see a significant increase in this funding in the future as we work with the increasing numbers wishing to play our games. While much emphasis will be placed on growing our income, of equal importance will be the implementation of tighter controls throughout our Association to deliver increased governance, accountability and value for money. The notion of blind funding to counties must stop and be replaced with incentive based payments where clear benefits are visible relating to whatever activity or development is being financially supported. Our new Audit Committee is now in operation and will play a key role is mapping out a practical and relevant strategy for our Association in the management of all our resources.
Educational Sector
Although the issue of Gaelic Games in the educational sector was well covered by the Árd Stiurthóir, I want to extend my grateful thanks to everyone involved in the three educational strands for their loyalty and dedication in the past year. Cumann na mBunscol has just published their own Strategic Plan and this was considered recently by Coiste Bainistí. The past year finally saw the emergence of a new Second Level Schools Council to oversee all Gaelic Games activities in this sector. I realise this was a long and arduous process but I want to express my grateful appreciation to all involved for finally bringing this saga to a successful conclusion. Finally, after a difficult 2005 when some tough decisions had to be made, I want to commend Comhairle Árd Oideachais and its Officers for an excellent 2006. Public Relations The PR and Publication Section in Croke Park currently has a staff of three people. In an environment where our Association, its affairs and activities attract more media attention and comment than any organisation in the land, this obviously places an intolerable burden on so few people. We now have a media presence on a scale unprecedented in our history and a public ever more demanding in terms of expectation and information right across the 32 counties and abroad.
Of necessity, the PR Section finds itself regularly in a reactive mode. But, it also operates continuously in a policy and from a proactive premise, mostly unheralded because of the nature of the brief and its demands.
I believe that the time has come for us to re-evaluate the importance and significance of this singularly important conduit between the Association, the media and our public. I believe that we have to restructure and resource the section to meet the needs, the challenges and the opportunities of modern society. It is not long ago that there were less than a half a dozen people at a media briefing and when there was no internet or today's instant electronic communication systems.
It is testimony to the commitment and expertise of the current staff of the PR Section that they have executed their brief so effectively, but the greater work load now necessitates a review of all activities and it is my intention to address the matter during my term of office.
Our Association in Today's Society The raison d'eitre of our Association was, at its foundation, and remains to this day, the promotion of Gaelic Games. We are a unique indigenous games body spread through all 32 counties and amongst the Irish Diaspora. We touch and influence the lives of people in city, town and rural parish. Through the promotion of our games and loyalty to our culture and ethos we have exercised a considerable influence in the affairs of this island for nearly a century and a quarter of Irish history. When Cusack spoke with pride of the Association "sweeping through the country like a prairie fire", I do not think that even he could envisage that the flame ignited by the founding fathers would continue to illuminate and burn brightly in the first decade of the 21st century.
Throughout the history of the Gaelic Athletic Association we have been a mirror image of most of our society. We have felt the pain and trauma of our people as history evolved and as the social, economic and political landscape unfolded. Equally we have shared in the triumphs of a people who have met and overcome the challenges and handicaps of an emerging and developing nation.
It is not so long ago that our Association was perceived as a staid and tired organisation with dwindling attendances, poor or non-existent infrastructure with minimal or negative attention from the broader community. It is not that long ago when most of our clubs were without suitable changing facilities, social centres and in some cases pitches. We remember when our county, provincial and national grounds represented a patchwork of decaying and inhospitable structures, a reflection of the mood of the spirit deficiency of a nation generally.
In an era of social and economic deprivation, of mass immigration, of political turmoil and tragedy, we remained loyal to the legacy of our founding fathers and previous generations. We did this through leadership, but more fundamentally through the commitment and loyalty of countless members. We met the challenges of some of the darkest periods in our history with unity and collective commitment.
We played a not inconsiderable role in the peace process in the six counties, while resisting pressures and steering clear of the political agenda. We provided the means and foundations for expansion and development by providing an unrivalled and unprecedented network of infrastructure from club to national level. In my travels through the country, through small and isolated rural parishes to large new and sometimes anonymous urban housing developments I am sometimes amazed at what we have achieved and what we have provided in environments where there was no other social or sporting outlet for our youth and for our people generally. We have embraced many changes in an era of satellite television and communications of a globalised nature that could not be envisaged a short time ago. Most of us remember when only the All Ireland Semi Finals and Finals were televised live. In the last year over 50 games were televised live involving four different television entities. We changed and altered the format and schedule of our Championships and Leagues as part of a process to provide more equity and in embracing the television and expanded media era. We have embraced the electronic and IT era and reorganised our administration through a process that is still evolving. We have and are putting huge resources and personnel into the area of games development and promotion at all levels.
We have taken many bold and giant steps as the vagrancies of different milestones in our history demanded. We took the decision to reconstruct Croke Park nearly two decades ago when our detractors saw it as folly, over ambitious and unattainable. We did this because we had the vision, the commitment and the confidence and support of our members. We abolished Rule 21 which was on our statute books for a century and we took a decision to suspend Rule 42 for a period so that Rugby, Soccer and their supporters would not have to go abroad for competitive Internationals. We took these decisions and much more for one common reason and one only. We took the decisions because they were the democratic wish of our members and the right ones at that particular point in our history and that it was in the interest of the GAA to do so.
As we now progress towards the second decade of the 21st century we do so as the largest, best supported sporting organisation in the country with a membership and infrastructure that is unequalled and will never be equalled in this island. Our attendances reflect our increased support across age and gender and the socio economic spectrum. Our broader general support is reflected by television viewing figures and by the expanded and consistent focus of the general media. In the cities, towns and villages of Ireland, in holiday resorts abroad, in the five continents where our Diaspora has spread, our jerseys are worn with pride, a badge of honour representing what we are all about, a sense of place and a sense of who we are. Indeed, it is heartening to see how far we have come when we see so many of the new Irish embrace our culture and our games through Cumann na mBunscol, a barometer that illustrates that our Association is an inclusive organisation without religious, social and economic boundaries. It shows that we are prepared and willing to adapt to change and to apply integration in its most effective form, participation in our activities that continue to be the raison d'etre of the GAA, our games. Long may it continue.
Just as the social and political landscape of society generally evolves and changes so must the GAA. We can never be complacent, we can never rest on our laurels and we can never take the communities whom we serve for granted. We are more often than not reminded of our shortcomings, we are continuously informed of how we might do things better and we are regularly chided when comparisons are made with global international sports and organisations. This is a healthy, if a sometimes irritating phenomena in a democratic environment and it serves to motivate us on a continuous basis to strive for improvement, to adapt to changing scenarios and do what we have always done, to act in the general and overall interest of the Association for not only current but future generations.
Conclusion
I am grateful for the support I received from so many people in my first year as Uachtarán. I am a strong believer in the concept of team work to achieve your goals and objectives and in that regard I want to sincerely thank the Árd Stiurthóir and the entire staff of both CLG and PCT and fellow Officers in our Association at all levels for your support. Finally, I thank my family without whose loyalty and support I would not be addressing you today.
Slán agus beannacht
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