Connacht award recipient Tom Nally of St Michael’s GAA Club, Galway, with family, guests and Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Larry McCarthy during the Gradaim an Uachtaráin at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
In his Annual Report which was published today, GAA Ard Stiúrthóir, Tom Ryan, paid tribute to the dedication of the countless volunteers who are the lifeblood of the Association.
And he acknowledged the importance of giving additional support to all of those who give freely of their time to ensure they are never over-burdened.
“The single most important contribution that anybody can make to the GAA is to contribute their time,” wrote Ryan in his Annual Report.
“Yes money is important, we need sponsors, and we need people coming through turnstiles. But given the choice of an hour of your time or a few notes from your wallet I know which is more valuable in the long term.
“That time is what keeps clubs operating, keeps children playing, keeps players training and keeps our pitches and committee rooms active. Unfortunately time is becoming increasingly hard for people to find.
“The world of the GAA officer is more complicated and demanding than ever. The time and lifestyle demands on a player are ever increasing. Parents’ time is precious and lots of other activities (or none at all) are competing for their childrens’ attention. In all of my dealings with county officers during the year the theme that most commonly emerged, either personally or behalf of fellow officers, was time pressure.
In attendance at the GAA Annual Report launch is Ard Stiúrthóir of the GAA Tom Ryan, at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
“I think I can safely say that people still enjoy their involvement in the Association and see it as a positive in their lives, but the balance is shifting, and we need to address it. And I know the situation is the same in clubs. And in homes and workplaces. The risk for us is that people curtail their involvement, or that they don’t step forward at all, or even just that they stop enjoying it.
“Any of which will exacerbate the problem. In many ways this just reflects the direction that society in general is moving in, and the GAA is not immune from that. So what can we do? Well the first thing should be to try to make the job easier.
“That can mean asking for less and taking some of the tasks off the shoulders of the volunteer. It can also mean offering more, and better, training and tools to help make the job more straightforward so the person (and the club) gets more return for those precious hours.
“It might mean the odd acknowledgement on our part in terms of things like tickets or gear. It might even mean getting better at acknowledging and thanking people. Your time is really valued. Thank you.”
GAA Ard Stiúrthóir Tom Ryan’s Annual Report and the GAA’s Consolidated Financial Statements for 2023 can be read here - 14742 GAA Annual Report digital (fliphtml5.com)