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Details of GPA AGM and CEO's Address, Gibson Hotel, Point Village, Dublin 1
GPA Annual General Meeting, 2012
The AGM of the Gaelic Players Association took place this afternoon at the Gibson Hotel, Point Village, Dublin.
Election of Officers
The following officers were returned:
President: Brian Whelahan.
Chairman: Dónal Óg Cusack.
Secretary: Ronan Sweeney
The following motions were passed at the meeting:
1. Combined Ulster Hurling Squads
“The
GPA recommends that the GAA and the Ulster Council examine the
possibility of establishing Ulster Minor and U21 squads to compete in
the All-Ireland series for a three-year period as a precursor to the
establishment of an agreed Ulster Senior Hurling team competing in the
Liam McCarthy Cup.”
2. Players Charter
“The
GPA calls on all county boards and county panels to engage fully in the
process of agreeing their Players’ Charter and to ensure that all
completed documents are submitted to Croke Park by January 31st, 2013.”
3. Government Funding for Inter-County Players
“Having
already sustained substantial cuts, totalling 73 percent, to the
Government Grants schemes, the GPA calls upon the Government to maintain
funding at its current level in order to protect the principle of the
Schemes and to continue to recognise the unique status of the amateur
inter-county player in the world of Irish sport.”
4. Athletes Alliance
“The
GPA encourages both players’ representative bodies and elite level
athletes to establish a National Athletes’ Alliance the aim of which
will be to facilitate the exchange of ideas and knowledge and to provide
support to athletes and to representative bodies.”
Extract from Annual Report Address by GPA Chief Executive Dessie Farrell to GPA AGM, 2012
Following the
historical changes undergone by the GPA in recent years it is with no
small sense of satisfaction that I can report that our progress over the
last 12 months continues to be equally compelling.
Uptake for our
critical player services has grown substantially in a very short period,
particularly in the vital areas of education and career development, as
awareness of the long-term personal benefits for players increases.
Education and
career development are essential for any player aspiring to a successful
off-field career and the GPA is now in an established position to
support those critical aspects of the player’s life.
Our joint
commercial activity with the GAA yielded its first major partnership
with PwC while the joint GAA/GPA All-Stars awards scheme under the
sponsorship of long-time player supporters Opel has gone from strength
to strength. We are driving on with our joint efforts and will report
further significant arrangements in the near future.
I am
particularly enthused by the success of the GPA’s Social Responsibility
Programme this year which saw the development of players as mental
health ambassadors for Headstrong while the creation of our inaugural
Community Camp showed how the GPA can harness the many qualities of our
players for the betterment of society in general.
One of the core
principles of the Players’ Association is ensuring that the contribution
county hurlers and footballers make to the social and cultural fabric
of Irish society is both recognised and promoted. Government Funding for
our players, for example, is provided on this basis of this principle.
However, it is an aspect which we as an organisation can and will
develop further. While our players already make a significant
contribution through their dedication to game, their leadership
qualities make them ideal and powerful role models within their
communities.
And enhancing
those qualities through our Player Development Programme is an important
objective of the GPA. A leader on the field can be a leader off it and
through the intervention of our various support services for players, we
can help them realise this potential and develop a new group of future
influential leaders in Ireland.
It is
interesting to note the growth in players engaging with our Entrepreneur
Programme. By harnessing the many skills honed as a county player many
are ideally placed to drive a new business and the GPA is now in a
position to support these moves providing key start-up advice and
marketing supports.
I’d like to pay
tribute to the hard-working GPA staff members for their commitment to
achieving our substantial objectives. Flexibility, dedication,
efficiency and ambition are prerequisites to our work and our team
displays those traits in abundance. I’d like to thank our various squad
reps, our GPA Officers and voluntary Executive members for their
outstanding contribution to the players’ body over the past 12 months.
A special word
of thanks to our service providers whose professionalism and efficiency
has helped propel the Development Programme. Based on the measured
outcomes and increasing body of testimonial feedback, players are being
extremely well served.
We have an
excellent productive working relationship with the GAA ensuring that
players’ views, opinions and issues are represented at the heart of the
decision making process. I’d like to thank Director General Paraic Duffy
for his on-going support for the work of the GPA and wish Uachtarán
Liam Ó Néill the very best of luck during his tenure.
Our efforts to
set up a long-term support network for players and the GPA Programmes in
the US have been very successful over the past year with an increasing
number of supporters coming on board. However, critical to the long-term
success of these efforts will be raising awareness of our games through
increased promotional work and exhibition matches.
I must
acknowledge the incredible efforts being made on our behalf in the US by
our Advisory Group and the many people helping to organise our
Ireland-US Heritage Awards and Dinner Gala in New York in November 2012.
Their interest in and respect for the contribution made by county
players to Irish culture and society is extraordinary and is greatly
appreciated by our players.
Congratulations
to all squads on your contribution to another hugely successful GAA
county season with all the attendant drama and, significantly, excellent
attendances. As always this success is a testimony to your dedication.
Finally I would
like to pay tribute to GPA member and Fermanagh footballer Brian Óg
Maguire who was tragically killed in an accident this year, a year in
which we also lost Jim Stynes and John Egan. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a
n-ainmneacha. |
