Brendan Smith on GAA demographics: rural decline, facilities need
Brendan Smith spoke in support of the GAA’s work on population diversity and warned of contrasting pressures on clubs across his county. He called for better use of existing rural infrastructure and for political action to secure more investment in sports facilities.
Praise for GAA diversity work
The speaker complimented the GAA, both nationally and in every unit of the organisation, for focusing on population diversity and for carrying out work to reflect changing communities.
Experience at Cavan County Board demographics committee
He described attending the Demographics Committee meeting of the Cavan County Board in August 24 and said he was impressed with the committee’s membership, which included a range of people beyond club officers representing different strata in society.
Eastward urban shift and pressure on facilities
He outlined an eastward and urban shift within the county, noting areas where commuting to Dublin has driven rapid growth in club membership and placed substantial pressure on facilities. He said recent years have seen substantial government investment in sport but argued more is needed.
Rural decline and underused community infrastructure
He warned that some rural clubs are facing decline and called for a proper inventory of social and educational infrastructure in rural Ireland that is not being fully used. He pointed to community centres, primary schools and GAA pitches that could be better utilised.
Local club cooperation and political appeal
Using his own junior club as an example, he described neighbouring clubs sharing players and facilities in interim arrangements to ensure participation. He urged political representatives in the Oireachtas and at local authority level to work with clubs to secure funding and to support rural counties and smaller towns. He closed with a light reference to the Ulster final being held in Clowness forevermore as a local message of support.
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Thank you, Deputy Smith. Thank you very much, Cairligan. Apologies, I missed most of the meeting because I was at another committee meeting. But I just want to compliment the GAA, both nationally and in every unit of the organisation, for carrying out this work. It's very important to bring a focus on the population diversity that there is in our country today. And I attended, I represent Cavan Monaghan, I attended the Demographics Committee meeting of Cavan County Board in August 24. And I was very impressed with the membership of that committee. It wasn't just officers of clubs or officers, the county board, but in a range of people, represented different strata in society. I think that was extremely important, doing very good work. Could I just say, I remember when the day Sean McCaig was, oh, through on come a new class Gail, attending a GAA meeting in Camp one night, I think it was around the year 2000, and he was telling us that night that he had just come back from Cork, where he had visited some of the major clubs, and he was just outlining to us the difficulties that were facing clubs and not having enough facilities, huge numbers of underage players out training every Saturday morning, whereas we had the opposite at that particular time. We were in trouble fielding teams. Thankfully, it reversed in the meantime, so it did. But now we're facing decline in some of our rural clubs again, as is so evident. You used the phrase, Mr Hurl, the eastward and urban shift. You take County Cavan, in the east of the county, I, Virginia, Kingsgore Bay, but across that region, huge numbers of people commute to Dublin. Their clubs, their numbers are growing hugely, and it's great to see it, and oftentimes huge pressures on facilities. And in fairness, over recent years, there's been a huge government investment in sport, and we need to see more of that. And all of us here in the Oireachtas and at local authority level work with our local clubs of all sporting disciplines to get funding in to help build up the sporting infrastructure. But then I go to the west of the county, go down to Black Lion, the Fermanabar, the Swanabar, the Fermanabar. They're near as sizable a town as Enniskillen. They face particular difficulties. So within a county of huge diversity, so you have dealing with that. And again, I think, here I've outlined so well earlier on in his contribution, that we have a huge social and educational infrastructure in rural Ireland that's not being used. I'd love to see a proper inventory being done in regard to the infrastructure that's in place that's not being used to the extent it could. And I know my own club is only a junior club in West Cavern, west of Ballyconnellis, Temple Port. We have fabulous facilities, two pitches, lights, gym, everything. Our neighbouring club, another junior club, has excellent facilities as well. Unfortunately, they're not in a position to feel the team. They're playing with us at the moment in an interim arrangement and to ensure that everybody that wants to play football, that wants to participate, that they have a team to play on. So I think what you are doing, getting this message out, is hugely important. And it will focus the minds of people, as Deputy Aird said, at an official level in particular. And that has to be driven by political people in the Oireachtas and at government level in particular. But so much can be done. But again, I would emphasise the importance of ensuring that we utilise the infrastructure that's already in place. Go to any rural parish. Ballyconnellis, they have a great community centre. There's a primary school, if not a second level school. And there are other facilities as well, meeting room sports, football pitches predominantly, GAA pitches, etc. And one message, and I don't know if Mr Hurl and myself are the only two people from Ulster here in the room at the minute, but could I just say maybe Crow Park and Cordylla would give out a good message. We want to support our rural counties. We want to support our smaller towns. By stating that the Ulster fine will be held in Clowness forevermore. We're not going to get involved in that. No, we get it.
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