Godfrey's Gospel: 'All-powerful GAA circle the wagons'
GAA director general Tom Ryan
AS a young reporter, I worked for another newspaper which was also called – no relation to this newspaper – it was , managed and staffed by a wonderful group of people. One of my first assignments was to cover a public meeting to discuss a water issue in the village of Ballyporeen. The locals were looking for funding for something or other, hence the reason for a public meeting. One of the guest speakers had achieved a satisfactory result for his parish, but according to him it had taken no less than 105 meetings with those responsible for funding to achieve the necessary result.
That was the first thing that struck me last week when I read about the shock resignation of former president Mary McAleese from her position as chair of the integration committee overseeing the amalgamation of the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association.
She cited changes to agreed timetables, a management committee that was ‘‘less than impressive’’ and people who are not entirely happy about the idea of including women in decision making at the top level of Gaelic sports and who are holding back the process.
In other words, she had enough of all the meetings which were going absolutely nowhere and decisive action was needed. Never one to shy away from a fight, Dr McAleese’s actions put the whole matter of integration front and centre, which, no doubt, was her intention. How long does it take to draft proposals about how an organisation should look and who has the ‘power’ or decision-making rights, or whatever you want to call them? And why, as it now seems to those of us on the outside looking in, does it appear that women don’t really have any say in decision-making in the country’s largest sporting organisation.
Integration is a lovely word, as is inclusiveness and whatever other words you want to bandy about, but at the end of the day, it is all about power – or rather the holding on to it.
After the issue was raised last week, a ‘joke’ circulated on social media where a spokesperson for a factious club spoke about the woman who washed the jerseys and another lady who made the tea and another being shown how to use a lawnmower. Isn’t that inclusion? Some might have found it funny, others might have given a wry smile or maybe thought it a little funny, but not really because, sadly, that is exactly what happens in a lot of clubs around the country.
Naturally, GAA director general Tom Ryan rejected the accusations in the strongest possible terms, stating the failure to reach agreement on organisational structures was the reason behind the delay in the process. Rejecting any notion of misogyny, Mr Ryan said the GAA was an inclusive one, family orientated and progressive. So why is it taking so long to reach an agreement on organisational structures you have to ask.
Certainly, some of the people who raised their heads and voices over the past few days didn’t think the organisation was inclusive or family orientated, when their daughters had to play second fiddle, even down to having to pay for the use of lights in some clubs and always being assigned the ‘second’ pitch so that the main one was left for the men to train or play on.
Asked what specific organisational structures were proving problematic for GAA members, Mr Ryan replied ‘‘composition of boards, delegated authorities, powers of congress’. In other words, the real power.
Let’s be honest, fair play is all anyone wants and it is obvious to everyone, except those in the corridors of power within the GAA, that women and girls are not getting a fair deal.
But let’s not fool ourselves into thinking the GAA is the only guilty organisation when it comes to equality. Go to any golf club in the country and you’ll see assigned parking spaces for the captain and lady captain. Ask a few questions about who is the real decision maker and you’ll be told it is the captain. Need I say more.
Then on Thursday last it was the turn of the health minister, who admitted that female paramedics had been ‘‘let down’’ by an organisation that doesn’t protect them. More than 30 women told RTÉ’s ***Prime Time*** that they experienced or witnessed sexual harassment, misogyny, bullying and intimidation while working in the National Ambulance Service.
I am not talking about the general public here, but rather fellow workers and so-called colleagues. I’m sure there are others within the health service who can also detail similar experiences. The minister has since appointed retired major general Maureen O’Brien to review issues that have arisen from the ***Prime Time*** programme. But surely if management were doing their jobs properly there would be no need to appoint outsiders to conduct such reviews.
Look at the number of women leading top tier companies in this country and again you’ll see a huge disparity. Even in politics, we had to introduce a quota system to ensure women were included. It is easy to argue they weren’t bothered in the first place – that they had better things to do with their lives – all very true I’m sure when you consider all the useless meetings that take place at national level.
But don’t you think it a little strange that we are still trying to come to terms with giving women equal opportunities the week after one woman took on the might of the boxing world, forced her sport to be recognised at the Olympics, then turned professional and captured multiple world titles before retiring in front of 83,000 fans in, of all places, Croke Park while another 1.6 million watched her on tv? I do.
