Seamus McGuinness

Playing senior inter-county Gaelic games: experiences, realities and consequences

Given the developments that have taken place in Gaelic games over the past ndecade, particularly at the senior inter-county level, there is a concern that the ndemands that today’s games are placing on players are having negative effects on ntheir lives. The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and the Gaelic Players Association n(GPA) have introduced a number of measures to ensure that players’ needs are ntaken care of and that those who play enjoy their experience. Nevertheless, nquestions continue to be raised. Given this, the GAA and GPA jointly commissioned nthe Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) to conduct an independent nexamination of the commitment required to play senior inter-county, and the nimpact that this has on players’ personal and professional lives and club ninvolvement. nThe research was primarily conducted through senior inter-county player nworkshops and a survey of 2016 players. Workshops were also conducted with n2016 senior inter-county managers, County Board Secretaries and third-level nGames Development Officers (GDOs). What follows is a summary of the principal nfindings arising from the study, consideration of their implications for both player nwelfare and policy in this area, and some discussion on future directions.