New Agreement with GAA endorsed by players at AGM as Farrell bows out as GPA chief

The new GAA/GPA Recognition Protocol was endorsed by player delegates at today’s GPA AGM held in Dublin’s Cathal Brugha Barracks, the last formal event for outgoing chief executive Dessie Farrell.

The three-year Agreement with the GAA sees an expansion of support structures for county players and increased player input into GAA decision-making, and tribute was paid at today’s meeting to the players’ voluntary negotiating team which was headed by GPA Chairman Seamus Hickey and President Dermot Earley.

As well as rubber-stamping the Recognition Protocol, already endorsed by GAA Central Council last month, the GPA AGM also passed a motion to adopt new governance code which will improve transparency and strengthen player input into the organisation’s governing structures and constitution. The existing standing committees, which are independently chaired, have been supplemented with a new Audit/Risk group.

All outgoing officers – Dermot Earley (President), Seamus Hickey (Chairman) and Paul Flynn (Secretary) – were all returned unopposed.

Addressing the meeting, Hickey spoke of a historic year for the players’ body, in particular establishing a new protocol and the departure of Donal Og Cusack and Dessie Farrell, but he emphasised that 2016 was a year underpinned by a substantial growth in player engagement with GPA support programmes.

Fundraising and games promotion in the US was a topic for discussion and Farrell explained to delegates in detail the importance of generating additional funding for the Player Development Programme to enable the Association to deliver the appropriate level of services to the 2000 current playing members and to a growing number of former players.

The outgoing CEO also spoke of how it remained essential for players to own, govern and lead the GPA and how the development of leadership teams on the ground in each county panel was a prerequisite for a healthy players’ body.

GPA Financial Controller Matt Hoban delivered the Association’s annual financial report and also presented a detailed report on the Player’s Charter, emphasising how the issue of the payment of player expenses had been improved dramatically in 2016 through the Charter process.

Commenting on the departure of Dessie Farrell, Seamus Hickey said: “It is impossible to properly quantify the extraordinary contribution Dessie has made to the growth and development of the players’ body but his role in changing the status of the county players both within the GAA and in Irish society is a testament to that contribution.

“A courageous pioneer, a patient listener, a caring leader and a visionary, Dessie’s integrity and credibility provided an important platform on which the GPA was built. We wish him the very best with the next stage of his career and on behalf of players, current past and indeed future, we thank him sincerely.”

A founding member of the GPA, the Association’s first Chairman and acting Chief Executive since 2003, Farrell has overseen the growth of the GPA from an informal gathering of county footballers and hurlers in 1999 to one of world sport’s leading Player Associations, with a pioneering Player Development Programme in place for amateur athletes.

Speaking after today’s meeting, Farrell said: “The success of the GPA over the years has been down to the collective strength of players, it has been an absolute privilege to have served them and to have witnessed the growth of the association. I’m indebted to the staff and officers who have worked tirelessly with the organisation through the years and I believe the GPA is very well placed to continue to provide critical support services for our members and will continue to do so in the future. On a personal level, I have been very fortunate to have worked with courageous and inspirational people who have helped make the GPA what it is. I wish the Board, our current leaders and the staff the very best with their continued efforts on behalf of our county hurlers and footballers.

 “I echo the words of my long-time colleague Donal Og Cusack in that I believe the GPA Player Development Programme, supporting our athletes to be their very best off the field as well as on it, is a model that will continue to serve players and the wider GAA very well into the future. I would also like to thank Paraic Duffy and the many GAA leaders who supported the vision of the GPA and who can be proud of the world class Development Programme now in place to assist our players.”