PAT Fitzgerald, CEO of Munster GAA, announced this week that the Munster GAA Headquarters, currently being built on the Dublin Road, Castletroy, will be finished in May.
Speaking at the Munster GAA annual convention, Fitzferald said,
“The building work on our new HQ is now at full pace and should be completed by May of this year. This development will allow the Council and more particularly the Council sub committees to function more professionally It will enhance administration activity and give a more public and positive image for the Council. It will also allow us to stage small GAA functions currently being facilitated in Hotels. It will also bring the GAA family of Associations within the Province closer and allow for greater cooperation”
The site, which is next to Chawkes garage in Castletroy replaces the current Munster GAA headquarters which is on the old Dublin Road, near the Parkway Shopping Centre.
The report filed by Pat Fitzgerald contained many talking points for Munster GAA.
Attendances were down this season in the Senior Hurling and Football championships. This is due to the recession as well as the lack of a replay last season.
Also mentioned in Fitzgerald’s report was the challenge faced by the GAA in relation to player participation. The association is doing massive work trying to increase rural and city participation.
“The urban challenge of delivering games participation initiatives to more young boys continues to be our greatest issue in our Urban areas” commented Fitzgerald.
“The connection between involvement at school level and link to the clubs is one area I believe that our rules and County byelaws are probably a bigger impediment to achieving greater participation and involvement than anything else. I know that some of these byelaws were enacted to protect smaller clubs from “Poaching” by the bigger clubs but now these same bye laws are used by some of the bigger clubs to hold on to players who are now surplus to requirements even at sixteen years of age”
The rural depopulation seems to be having a huge hit on the GAA. The organisation has traditionally been strong in the county, but migrating, emigration and movement for jobs has created a new issue for the ancient games.
“Ruaral Depopulation is now a serious challenge for our Association in all our counties. This threatens the very existence of some of our clubs and must as a matter of urgency be faced and solutions found within counties. This can primarily be rectified by meaningful smaller sided competitions for these areas. What must not happen is that other clubs use these small sided games to get away with neglect of their own catchment area by being allowed enter these competitions. At National level maybe a new rule to regulate these competitions I am open to views of more enlightened persons” continued the Limerick native. More food for thought in an ever tough playing field.
