Crossover between our games and politics more than a photo opportunity
THE interface of politics and the GAA has been part of the fabric of Irish life since the foundation of this State. There is no country in the world where politicians and their people are more connected. The proportional representation system that we have in this country has provided a competitive element in our constituencies that is very similar to the white heat of competition that is played out on Gaelic games pitches in every parish throughout this island.
With its parish, county and national structure, the GAA is a natural environment for leadership to emerge, on and off the field. And it has always been a natural progression for some of those leaders to enter the political arena. Of course, the Association itself strongly upholds its principle of being a non-political organisation. Its main objective is to promote the games and culture in the country. However, that doesn’t mean that every member of the GAA is not political. If anything, the GAA has been a good breeding ground for a number of political leaders in all parties, who have made a seamless transition to the Dáil chamber or the European Parliament.
The rapid growth of the GAA from its inception in 1884 happened during Ireland’s fight for freedom, which united and divided the country in equal measure. It was inevitable that there would be inter-mingling of both strands of society. This is captured brilliantly by the iconic picture of Michael Collins, Éamon de Valera, Arthur Griffith and Dublin Lord Mayor Laurence O’Neill on the sideline at a game in Croke Park in 1919.
De Valera, Boland and Collins were, of course, destined to take opposite sides in the Civil War that was to come which, in many cases, saw brother fighting brother during Ireland’s darkest days.
Sport, and the GAA in particular because of its sense of place, demonstrated during that period its
ability to unite people like no other activity. And it has been acknowledged that it helped unite communities and counties that were on opposite sides in the Civil War.
Richard McElligott, who wrote the book Forging a Kingdom. The
GAA in Kerry: 1884 to 1934 outlined how John Joe Sheehy and Joe Barrett, who were part of the Anti-Treaty forces, played alongside Free State Army captain Con Brosnan and Irish Garda John Russell. Barrett had captained Kerry in 1929, but in 1931, he proposed it be given to Brosnan to demonstrate that politics wouldn’t affect Kerry’s prospects of winning the All-Ireland title. His enemy politically, Barrett proposed he be given the captaincy to increase their chances of winning the All-Ireland.
The transition from pitch to parliament was common in the early years of the Free State. Cork dual star Jack Lynch was Taoiseach for two terms, his entry into politics undoubtedly helped by his high profile in the blood and banadage, winning five hurling All-Ireland medals as well as one in football during the 1940s. He also holds the distinction of being the only dual player to captain his county in hurling and football in the same year, 1939.
Lynch was still playing when elected to the Dáil in 1948. Seán Flanagan and Henry Kenny were Mayo’s All-Ireland winning players to enter Leinster House. Flangan, in fact, became a TD for the first time in May 1951 and went on to lift Sam Maguire for his county a few months later.
John Donnellan, from the famous Galway footballing dynasty, captained his native county in two years of the famous three-in-a-row in the 1960s. And Jimmy Deenihan entered politics in the early 1980s, as he broke his leg while Kerry were looking for five-in-a-row.
Administrators have used the springboard of the GAA to forge a career in politics. Seán Kelly’s presidency in the noughties saw him lead the Association to make the momentous decision to allow rugby and soccer to be played in Croke Park in 2007. Few would have thought such a decision would ever be taken, as more conservative members always saw it as a threat to the promotion of Gaelic games.
Kelly honed all his political and diplomatic skills, which can now be seen in the European Parliament, to activate the grassroots. It became a bottom-up movement, rather than from the top down. The leadership were convinced, Ulster counties in particular, that it was the patriotic thing to do when Lansdowne Road was being re-developed.
After his term as president. Kelly was elected to the European Parliament in 2009. The decision to open up Croke Park was a long journey for the organisation to take from the decision it made to suspend Douglas Hyde, founder of the Gaelic League and a patron of the GAA, for his attendance at a soccer match in his capacity as President of Ireland.
The crossover between politics and the GAA isn’t confined to Leinster House. Seamus Mallon, former deputy leader of the SDLP and instrumental in the Good Friday Agreement negotiations, played for Armagh. And All-Ireland winner Justin McNulty is a MLA for the SDLP. And Maurice Hayes, the distinguished historian, was a member of the Senate and was secretary of Down when they were the first of the six counties to capture Sam Maguire.
For politicians, their examination and accountability is in the ballot box. For GAA stars, public examination takes place on the hallowed turf of Croke Park.