Hernon: GAA merger would swallow us up
GAA President Liam O’Neill will seek the backing of Congress to enter formal negotiations with ladies football and camogie, but Hernon warns that the LGFA will not only lose its identity should integration take place, it will be sucked in and consumed by their more powerful neighbours.
At local level, the Galway secretary says the proposed integration will be resisted on both fronts, pointing to a North Galway club which charged the county’s U16 ladies football team €70 to train on their grounds in 2013.
“I would have huge reservations and my own view is that the association will be swallowed up if it decides to integrate with the GAA. We will lose our identity,” she claims.
“In 2013 we spent approximately €6,000 on renting pitches. Our Galway U16 team were charged €70 a session for the use of Miltown’s pitch and I cannot see how you are going to change the mindset of the people that saw fit to charge an U16 team for the use of their pitch.
“I don’t believe either that joining with the GAA will ease our financial worries. They are a grab-all association and that sentiment will continue. I don’t think it is going to be a case of the Galway County Board giving us €60,000 to run our affairs for the year.
“We will still have to fend for ourselves. We are a relatively new organisation and we just don’t have the same negotiating prowess as the GAA. All these reservations come down to the fact that ladies football has always been the poor relation, poor relation, poor relation. I would despair if the LGFA decide to integrate.”
Clare County Board chairman Michael McDonagh disagrees with Hernon and says the proposed model, which is already in place at club level, represents a step in the right direction.
“I would very much be in favour of integration. There are many rural clubs, including my own club, Miltown St Joseph’s, where everyone already works under the one umbrella.
“At county level it would be more difficult to manage, but I would see us having one executive committee with representatives from all codes and then sub-committees, one to look after camogie and so.”
Cork’s Anna Geary believes a catch-all association would provide increased coverage for camogie and ladies football, but stressed that the collective voice of both associations must be heard at all stages of the negotiating process.
“I don’t believe camogie will be swallowed up by a bigger fish, but it is our responsibility, the responsibility of the Camogie Association and its players to ensure our voice is heard at all stages of negotiation.
“That responsibility rests on our shoulders and the only way this move will work to our disadvantage is if we allow our voice to be lost. If you look at Liberty Insurance coming on board to sponsor both the hurling and camogie championships this year, that sponsorship ensured greater ties between hurling and camogie.”
