Gaelic Games News round-upA public row between the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) and the Tyrone County Board is likely to impact on current talks between the GPA and Croke Park officials on a number of issues.
These talks had been proceeding in a generally positive if low-key manner when it emerged yesterday Tyrone chair Pat Darcy had sent an open letter to GAA president Nickey Brennan expressing the county's unhappiness at the association's "evident moves towards 'recognition' of the Gaelic Players Association".
The letter continued: "Our county committee is clear that no such 'recognition' should be granted." It also called for the letter to be presented to this weekend's Management Committee and Central Council meetings.
The GPA responded quickly to the letter, which appeared on the Tyrone board's website yesterday although dated February 7th, the day after the last meeting of the county board.
Within the GAA there was surprise that the letter had been published before the president had seen it himself. Although the document arrived at his address yesterday Brennan had not had the opportunity to look at it by yesterday evening at which stage the GPA released a statement criticising the Tyrone letter.
Unanimously agreed by delegates and signed by Darcy, the Tyrone manifesto based its opposition to recognition of the GPA on five grounds:
1, What was described as "an open attack" on the GAA by the GPA in organising the protest that delayed by 15 minutes the start of the final series of regulation National Football League matches last April and the manner in which "we believe they have hijacked our official All Stars scheme," - a reference to the GPA's Team of the Championship awards;
2, The GPA already having the same representation at Central Council as entire counties or units of the association and that this constitutes "generous recognition";
3, That the association already has "well-established channels in place for negotiation and discussion";
4, If the principle of recognition is established for one group, how can it be denied to others, such as managers, referees, supporters?
5, If the GPA has recognition this will create an officially-sanctioned route for bypassing county committees will be in place, leaving them with responsibility but no power.
The letter goes on to affirm the county board's commitment to player welfare and express its concern at the impact on "volunteer welfare" of the issues raised.
In a strongly-worded response the GPA described the Tyrone comments as a "misleading, ill-informed dismissal of the GPA's attempts to gain official recognition from Croke Park" and pointed out that among the organisation's 1,500 members were the preponderance of the Tyrone football and hurling panels.
It also quoted Tyrone football All Star Seán Cavanagh and county hurling captain Barry Winters as being critical of their own county officials' arguments and drew attention to player welfare issues within the county, including the treatment of the county hurlers and the controversy surrounding a "high-profile, injured player".
"Let there be no mistake on this issue," the GPA statement goes on, "this is an attempt by Tyrone officials to regain and assert total control on players wearing the county jersey and to undermine the strides made by forward-looking GAA uachtarán Nickey Brennan and ard stiúrthóir Liam Mulvihill over the past 12 months in cementing a working relationship between the association and the players' body.
"The GPA wholly rejects all the assertions made in this document. We will be raising the issue at the highest levels of the GAA and will be seeking redress on this serious matter,".
Whereas there was no official response from the GAA last night, it is certain the intervention will be seen as unhelpful in the context of trying to reach agreement between the GAA and the players' union.
There was, however, privately expressed surprise the issue should have been raised now given it has been public knowledge since before Christmas that talks on recognition for the GPA as well as on the subject of government grants for intercounty players were in progress.
Tomorrow's Central Council meeting promises to be a busy affair with discussion on the leasing of Croke Park for rugby and soccer in 2008 already on the agenda as well as Dublin's request for clarification on a motion to exclude UCD from the county championships.
