More than 54,000 young people are taking part in GAA sports camps this summer, a figure that would have been unimaginable just 10 years ago, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr O'Donoghue, said yesterday.
Besides physical health and well-being, sport was central to our sense of personal identity and was one of the binding ties of community, Mr O'Donoghue said.
"It brings us together, pits us against each other and teaches us about the pursuit of excellence.
Mr O'Donoghue was speaking at a GAA summer camp at St Mary's GAA Club in Cahersiveen, Co Kerry, where he announced a €1.34 million Irish Sports Council grant to the GAA for its 2003 programmes to encourage greater under-age participation in Gaelic sports.
Numbers participating in GAA summer camps were increasing annually. However, only a quarter of participants are girls, a figure that was nevertheless described as encouraging by a spokesman for the sports council.
"Ladies football is the fastest growing sport in the country," he said.
The GAA president, Mr Sean Kelly, said at the launch that the future of the GAA was with young people participating at local level.
He said the partnership with the Irish Sports Council was producing results at grassroots level.
The 2003 projects will include the deployment of provincial games managers and games promotion officers.
The designated areas scheme, aimed at young people in socially-disadvantaged areas operating in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford, will be further expanded in Dublin this year.
The network of schools of excellence in hurling and football at under-15 level will also continue, as will coaching and equipment assistance to second-level schools.
Mr O'Donoghue said he would be announcing further allocations under the sports capital programme in the coming weeks for regional, national and municipal/multi-purpose facilities.
These monies would be in addition to the €40 million already announced last month. Of this the GAA received almost €18.7 million for its projects.