The Chairperson of the Oireachtas Sports Committee has criticised the GAA, after former President Mary McAleese resigned from its Integration Committee. 

As chair of the committee, Dr McAleese has been tasked with overseeing the merger of the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association by 2027.

Yesterday, however, she announced her resignation on the grounds that there are people within the GAA who are “not entirely happy about the idea of including women in decision-making at the top level of Gaelic sports". 

She added that her position was no longer tenable as they were holding back progress. 

On The Claire Byrne Show, Labour TD Alan Kelly said he was “shocked” to hear what he said, even though it “takes a lot to shock me”. 

“You wouldn't believe we're living in 2026,” he said. 

“I'm a huge supporter of this, I'm hugely involved in the GAA, our committee is very supportive.

“We said we'd have the integration committee in front of us each year, just to get an update, et cetera. 

“A few months ago, this was happening, everything was fine and former President McAleese, who's chairperson, asked everybody before going in, ‘Are we all on the one page?’ 

“She assured me that they were and then it changed.”

Mary McAleese speaking to the Anton Savage Show on Newstalk.

Despite this, the Tipperary North TD said he was “not surprised” when he learnt that Dr McAleese had resigned. 

“It wasn't tenable for her to go in front of the people's representatives, our committee and tell us that basically this was happening as the plan, then for it to be pulled by one management committee of one of the organisations,” he said. 

“There's obviously a democracy issue there, which I won't get into now, but that's not tenable for anybody, especially as somebody of her status. 

“Even her tone, I find she's very upset about this.” 

Future of women in sport

While the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association had hoped to amalgamate by next year, the GAA had written a letter suggesting the process be delayed by a period of several years. 

Speaking to RTÉ, GAA director general Tom Ryan denied accusations of misogyny "in the strongest possible terms". 

"But I can't accept that [misogyny] as a charge,” he said. 

“I'm very, very proud to be part of the GAA and I'm proud of what it is and does.” 

Whatever the truth of the matter, Deputy Kelly said he accepted that true equality in sport was always going to be a “challenge” and that “miracles” would be difficult. 

“I have a 16-year-old daughter, who's fanatical into GAA, she plays Gaelic football and camogie,” he revealed. 

“A few weeks ago, she just started a match, a 23 minutes to nine, in fog and rain, on a training pitch and it was a championship match of our most senior team. 

“She played a county final last year, where there were no umpires, I think there was one lines person, because there were other matches on with boys at around the same time.

“It's replicated across the country.”

Main image: Mary McAleese. Picture by: Alamy.com.