An Citeog wrote: » You should also take into account the benefits that IC players actually receive and I'm not just talking about the chance to play in Croke Park. I don't begrudge the players their grants or any financial aid. What I do object to though, is trying to hold the GAA to ransom by threatening to strike and some of the other nonsense comments in here. The GAA is about far more than the small minority who play at intercounty level and that's where the lifeblood of the game really is. People making comments like Dessie Farrell should be running the GAA really don't seem to grasp this and it saddens me to see. And I don't want to even get started about intracounty transfers!
enda_4 wrote: » It seems this whole issue is being forced along by certain people. I for one dont begrudge any of those fellas. I know a few fellas on county panels and the amount of time they have to give up is unreal yet having talking to them about these grants a majority of them are of the opinion 'yeah they'd be a great help' but none of them are throwing their toys out of the pram sayin 'I'm not playing unless I'm gettin paid!' It seems to me that there is a few fellas behind the scenes who stand to make far more money than your average county player from these grants and their increasing grip over the GAA. Just my 2 cents
McAnallen quits in protest over player grants By Cliona Foley Friday December 14 2007 ANOTHER well-known GAA figure has resigned his position in part-protest at the recent GAA grant scheme. Donal McAnallen, brother of the late Tyrone Allstar Cormac, resigned as secretary of the Higher Education Colleges GAA Council yesterday and admitted his decision was influenced by the recent agreement to give players grants. McAnallen, who also resigned from the GAA's national McNamee Press and PR Awards Committee, said his reasons were both practical and from a sense of disillusionment. "I have no income at present and I'm in debt. My dedication to GAA committee work has cost me too much time, effort, stress, and my health at times also," McAnallen stated. "Up to now I kept involved because I got a sense of fulfilment from doing that work, as I thought the association served a greater good in Irish life, and I thought everyone was working towards the same ends. But since the weekend, I realised that the association is changing direction altogether. "Suddenly I knew I had lost interest in doing the voluntary work if the sport ceases to be for sport's sake. "Many GAA volunteers, including some of my fellow committee members, have made similar sacrifices. Now I wonder whether it was all worthwhile. "At least I can concentrate on other things from here on," he said. McAnallen has been a vital member of the third-level committee for many years, serving as both its secretary and treasurer. He helped redraft its rules to try to stamp out ineligibility, and was also central in securing Ulster Bank sponsorship until 2011. His resignation comes not long after one of the founders of 'Club Tyrone' Mark Conway, stood down from that fundraising body, and the GAA National Audit Committee, in protest at the grant development. McAnallen, who played with the TG4's Underdogs football team, has been to the forefront in his family's tireless campaign to get the GAA to introduce mandatory cardiac testing. Elsewhere, Galway dual star Alan Kerins has landed a €15,000 mortgage windfall in recognition of his on and off the field actitivies. The contribution to his mortgage is Kerins' prize for winning the inaugural GPA/Halifax 'Fair Play Award' for his Allstar-nominated performances for the Galway hurlers this year, as well as single-handedly founding the inspirational 'Alan Kerins African Projects' charity which has raised over €750,000 since being established in 2005.
aughayes wrote: » Everyone on this thread seems to be talking about the politics of the matter, lets not lose sight of the fact that the commitment these players give is as good, if not better, than many professional athletes. Some of the costs involved in this are crippling to players on low salaries as it is, so i think they are deserving of any money coming their way.
The Chessplayer wrote: » And I suppose you think Nicky Brennan and the boys don't earn a cent? Even the stewards in croke park earn money...and the gaa will barely even give expenses to inter-county players.
Waylander wrote: » Eh that just means that he declared all his income to the Revenue, it does not mean he did earn money from his management activities.
The Chessplayer wrote: » That is the biggest load of cobblers I've ever heard. There were plenty of knives out looking to have a pop at Mick O'Dwyer - which resulted in the Revenue Commissioners doing a full audit of his finances...and guess what, they uncovered absolutely nothing. 100 grand a year - if you believe that you'd believe anything :rolleyes:
The GAA are a bunch of w@nkers, and there's a sizeable minority of gaa supporters, like myself, who can't stand these old w@ankers in "central council". At least "dictator dessie", as you call him, is not afraid to call it like it is. The type of democracy that exists in the gaa is the most inefficient embarrassing system in the known world.
The type of democracy that exists in the gaa is the most inefficient embarrassing system in the known world
JMULL wrote: » Alot of county managers are said to be getting in the region of €100,000 per year. The average industrial wage is something like €34,000. Lets say the managers are put back to the average industrial wage (not bad considering they can hold down another job as well), that would leave €2,200 each for 30 players. Problem solved
patmac wrote: » If he hasn't already called them I will get him to do so.
premierstone wrote: » i think you've hit the nail on the head here and tbh i think you'll find that unless the player is an intercounty player who will afford Dessie Farrell and co the media attention that he craves then the GPA dont give a rats ar*e about issues like this
holymolyHS wrote: » And what are the GAA going to do for this player? Its because of incidents like this that the GPA came into existence. Just ask Richie Kealy what help he got off the GAA for a similar issue. Thanks to the GPA he got some form of compensation. No harm for this guy to give the GPA a call and see if they can do anything for him
premierstone wrote: » That may have been the original intention but they have seriously strayed from this in recent times and their sole intention at the moment seems to be how many times they can get dessie on tv;)
patmac wrote: » One of our players was badly injured in a club championship match last October, it looked deliberate(not relevant), his ankle is fractured, he works in the construction industry, has been unable to work since and will be unavailable to work well into the new year, despite having a good insurance scheme, no recompense has been offered this side of Xmas, this is the sort of thing that needs to be sorted out if the GPA have the welfare of players in mind.
The Chessplayer wrote: » The GAA are a bunch of w@nkers, and there's a sizeable minority of gaa supporters, like myself, who can't stand these old w@ankers in "central council". At least "dictator dessie", as you call him, is not afraid to call it like it is. The type of democracy that exists in the gaa is the most inefficient embarrassing system in the known world.
monosharp wrote: » The GAA is us, we are the GAA. The GAA is not like the FAI or the IRFU, the GAA is a democratic organisation and these meetings for central council etc are for US to descide what happens to OUR organisation. Dessie Farrell, Donal Og and the GPA are a cancer. They are not democratic and have no respect for democracy whatsoever. They are a facist party.
Tingle wrote: » Training part-time will never get someone to a level that a full-time athlete is at, in the vast majority of cases its not possible. It doesn't matter how many sand dunes you run up, or ice baths you take, if you aren't full-time you will struggle to maximise your physical ability. Its eating, sleeping, training. You can't do this if you are part-time. To say we have no world class athletes is hilarious - O' Rourke, Gillick, Hession, O' Keefe, Heffernan in track and field, several very good boxers and our rowers are definitely world class. Your standards are very high, you must get very dissillushioned watching overweight, soft, under developed athletes strutting their stuff on GAA pitches each summer if they are this high. Relax, I'm not slagging GAA players. I think for part-time athletes they are great and deserve their grant even though initially I was sceptical. I'm responding to the original poster slagging "randon plodders" picking up a grant like its the dole. I'd expect to hear that sh*te from a guy at the back of the church on a sunday who cleans his ears with his car keys. Bit of respect, GAA players and the ISC grant athletes are two very different animals operating in two very different worlds, both deserving of their grants.
