THE CALL by Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) director general Páraic Duffy for a debate on the future of amateurism within the organisation is to be welcomed by anyone with an interest in the future of the national games. Those who believe that the association should remain strictly amateur will see an opportunity to put a stop to the hypocrisy of under-the-counter payments whereas others, who believe that further relaxation of the rules on paid activity is justified, will advocate a more realistic formulation. Aside from the fact that it is corrosive to maintain rules that are widely ignored, the GAA would benefit from establishing the broader membership’s actual attitude to amateurism. At present, as Duffy pointed out, the association says one thing but does another.
Arguments for a more permissive approach include the incremental manner in which the GAA has assigned many aspects of its operations to full-time employees as well as the pressure on all involved at the elite levels of the games - which generate the organisation’s principal revenue stream. Should there be further relaxation of the rule it is likely to be in respect of managers and coaches rather than players; in other words pay-for-play will become the final frontier of amateurism.
Observing the intense and often unhappy focus on managers in recent times, it is easy to make a case for rewarding those with whom ultimate responsibility is seen to rest. Nonetheless this is a delicate situation. Who knows the impact of paying some people in an inter-county team set-up and not others or how the situation at club level would be treated? More importantly, how would any further movement in this direction impact on the significant number of volunteers who keep the association alive and vibrant through their activities in coaching, administration and fundraising? Yet even these concerns are paradoxical, as payment to coaches currently takes place with the acquiescence of many of the association’s members if not its rulebook.
The GAA has thrived in a modern age of increasingly globalised sport despite the relentless promotion of its rival games through television and the international arena. It has done so by adroit management of resources and the successful maintenance of the strong identification between ordinary members and supporters and their localities. In a homogenised world, Gaelic games have continued to be a rare expression of cultural independence. Gauging the impact of change on this unique aspect of Irish life will require fine judgment.