Vice Chair Of Kildare Club Believes GAA Are "Seriously Lacking Leadership"

It comes as Mary McAleese has stepped down as chairperson of the Integration Committee earlier this week.

The Sports Minister says he’s satisfied the GAA, the LGFA and the Camogie Association are fully committed to integrating the organisations.

However Patrick O’Donovan is stressing the need for ‘realistic’ timelines, saying the amalgamation process can’t happen overnight

It comes as Mary McAleese has stepped down as chairperson of the Integration Committee earlier this week.

She resigned following the GAA informing the Steering Group that it couldn't commit to the current timeline of a merger of the three Gaelic Games governing bodies.

That timeline was initially for 2027, but now the deadline looks to be potentially extended to five years.

Mary McAleese said she suspects "there are people who are not entirely happy about the idea of including women in decision-making at the top level of Gaelic sports".

However GAA President Jarlath Burns rejected these claims, remarking that McAleese should consider rethinking them.

Burns says the stalling is due to financial concerns over equal funding for male and female inter-county teams, and he believes there was a “legitimate fear” that integration would have been voted down at a Congress next month.

The GAA's director general Tom Ryan says their commitment to integration remains "firm and absolute", but admits they "missed their own deadline" on its delivery.

Speaking on Kildare Today, Vice Chair of St Laurence's GAA and Fine Gael Cllr Ivan Keatley says the GAA are lacking leadership:

"I think we're seriously lacking leadership in the GAA at the moment, as men we need to step up to the plate here and get this sorted for all of our sakes.

"I can't imagine how the lady footballers, camogie players and administrators around the country feel this morning as this goes on, but as clubs we need to drive on.

St Laurence's operate as a One Club model, with the Ladies football celebrating it's 20th year.

Keatley also highlighted the number of roles filled by women in the club, particularly the administrative duties such as secretary and treasury roles.

Describing the running of the club as "highly complex", he said that a lack of integration makes administrative duties very difficult, with members of the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association paying different memberships, even though pitch allocations and other day-to-day issues are dealt with on a One Club ethos.

The full interview can be heard below: