Our DRA hearing took place on Friday night last in The Raddisson Hotel, Dublin Airport. The DRA Tribunal was Michael O’Connell (Kerry, and son of the legendary Mick O’Connell); Damian Mahon (Derry, City Solicitor to Derry City Council); and Mick Loftus (former GAA President). In true GAA fashion these men are volunteers … putting their time and their huge expertise at the disposal of the rest of us. No word of grants there!As a result of the DRA process the GAA’s representatives made it crystal clear that:

• There never was any agreement
• There certainly is no agreement at present
• There will be no agreement in future without the full and proper approval of Congress

It’s a huge turnaround face from what we were all presented with as a “done deal” back on 8 December. In one of the night’s more bizarre moments, the GAA claimed during the hearing that “any reasonable person” reading their press release of 8 December would have had no doubts that the whole issue would have to be decided by Congress.

That saw virtually every eyebrow in the room hit the ceiling! If that had been the case, Ireland’s clearly full of “unreasonable” people. One of these is evidently our President, Nickey Brennan who as late as 13 January in an interview with The Irish Mail on Sunday was clear that only if (other) people submitted motions, would the issue “get an airing” at Congress.

One of the other sad experiences of the night was the GAA’s refusal to give the Tribunal an undertaking that it would actually do what it promised to do. Because of that we sought an adjournment of the hearing so that the case could be re-opened if the GAA didn’t live up to its promises. The DRA ruled in our favour on that issue. That means our claim that giving money to GAA players breaks Rule 11 is still alive … and it remains and will remain our contention that any approval of a grant scheme at Congress requires a change to Rule 11.

We’ve attached a press release on the DRA hearing, you can download it from the link below:

grants_agreement_in_tatters.doc

Someone aptly described the whole grants/awards debacle as “the-deal-that-never-was”. Our task is now to make sure it’s “the-deal-that-never-is”!!!

There’s still plenty of work ahead.

In the Meantime … Be Afraid … Be Very Afraid!

Part of the argument in favour of the scheme-that-never-was but which was nonetheless launched on us on 8 December last, was the claim that the payment of money to elite players for playing gaelic games actually copper-fastened our amateur status.

That claim certainly flummoxed the plain people of Ireland!

But it would equally hold no water at all as far as some very “un-plain” legal people at the heart of the EU are concerned. Following a case taken to the European Court of Justice by Christelle Deliege, the Court ruled in December 2005 that since Mme Deliege received money, including some from her own judo federation as grants to improve her sporting performance (now where have we heard that before?) as a result of taking part in judo, her sporting activity actually constituted an economic activity … and therefore enjoys the full protection of Community law.

On that basis, if we give money to our players then all our tried-and-tested GAA rules and understandings about registrations; transfers; and even the management of our games immediately go out the window to be replaced by EU work/employment-related rules and regulations about restraint of trade; image rights; access to GAA income; and so on.

It would never happen?

Try that one with someone you know in any other sport that’s gone down the pay-for-play route! In the meantime, enjoy the last remaining kick of the “old” GAA. It isn’t going to be there for much longer!

Going to Congress: Can You Get Your Head Around This?

We understand that Saturday’s Central Council meeting, at the request of Management, voted to send a motion to Congress seeking approval for its grants scheme. (This was despite GAA press officer Feargal McGill being quoted in last Thursday’s Irish Times as saying the grants issue would not be discussed at the meeting because its only order of business was the Special Congress the same day … but then positions here do seem to shift on a daily basis!)

Now tell us if we’re wrong on this but here’s our understanding of the current position:

• On Friday night at the DRA, Central Council confirms there is no agreement nor was there ever any agreement
• On Saturday morning Central Council votes to send a motion to Congress about a grants agreement (that they’ve told us doesn’t exist)
• Central Council is therefore backing a motion on a scheme that doesn’t exist and to which it’s not committed
• Even better, Monday’s Evening Herald (28 January) has a GAA spokesperson telling us that on Saturday past, the motion that Central Council voted to submit to Congress has yet to be framed by Management

So there we have it. Central Council is committed to nothing except to a motion that Management has yet to draft on an agreement that’s yet to be framed.

And in all of this, still not a word for us ordinary GAA people (who keep the whole show going) on “our” GAA website.

There is in life something known as The First Law of Holes. It states: “When you’re in one … stop digging!”

Sounds like very good advice here!

And Finally … Keep This Issue Alive!

The mantra for opposing pay-for-play in the GAA remains the same:

• We work within (and want to protect!) the GAA’s structures and systems
• Bring the issue up in your Club
• Bring it to the National GAA Club Forum on 9 February
• Bring it to your County Committee and swell the growing tide of County opposition to it
• Make sure your voice is heard when it reaches the floor of Congress
• Ask your Central Council delegate just what went on at the 8 December and 26 January meetings
• Make sure your Central Council delegate reflects your County’s feelings the next time this issue is debated at Central Council
• Talk to people about the damage pay-for-play will do to the GAA … and how Ireland will suffer as a result
• Keep hammering home the point that nobody in the GAA has to do anything: we’re all volunteers … and if the burdens are too much we should just walk away or reduce our input

• Above all, in the GAA we don’t pay people to play our games!

This past week has seen huge progress in the campaign against pay-for-play in the GAA. The DRA has delivered a major result. But we’ve still work to do.

Let’s finish with another wee bit of Churchill (well, Viscount Brendan Bracken, a member of Churchill’s wartime cabinet was the son of JK Bracken, one of the founders of the GAA!):

“This is not the end.

This is not even the beginning of the end.

But it may perhaps be the end of the beginning!”

Beir bua!