GAA - understanding the value of nothing.

Has it really come to the point where the single national organisation, organised in every parish in the country, an organisation which pre-dates independence and prides itself on preserving 'community' in Ireland, has become no different than a multinational company with accountants blinded by the 'bottom line'.

Every county and club in Ireland has it's unique colours - unfortunately the GAA has shown it's true colours in this instance and when push comes to shove doesn't actually care about a healthy community, which is dependent on employment (among other things).

The GAA; more than any other organisation in Ireland; should be sourcing as many of the products and services it requires in Ireland. Everything from the food and beverages it sells, to its sports kits etc should be from Irish producers (where possible). Exclusive term deals will secure competitive prices (not necessarily the cheapest), and surely protecting the jobs within those parishes the GAA holds so dear should be a more admirable aim for such an organisation.

Picasso

As reported in The Irish Examiner http://www.examiner.ie/ 14th Dec 2011

IT’S the most Irish of sporting occasions, one of the purest cultural platforms we retain as a nation. So how come those priceless tickets for the All-Ireland hurling and football finals are printed in America? What’s worse is that tickets for other glamour GAA Championship matches are printed in Italy. Now, a leading Kerry GAA club has pleaded with Croke Park to do whatever it takes to end the anomaly and ensure that All-Ireland ticketing goes to an Irish company.


Delegates at Kerry’s annual convention have been told that tickets for the blue riband occasions in the GAA are printed in America and Italy for cost reasons. But the Dr Crokes club will bring a motion to next April’s Congress seeking to ensure the contracts are awarded to Irish companies. The motion to Monday night’s convention was overwhelmingly passed by delegates.


"I understand the tickets are printed in the USA due to a security feature but that technology is available in Ireland," argued Dr Crokes delegate John Keogh. "The tender from the Irish company should be accepted to protect jobs in the printing industry in this country, as many of those employees are members of the GAA around the country. "Every effort should be made to do this, given the economic times we live in. In this regard, we are not under any EU rules that procure the contract goes to the lowest tender."


Outgoing Kerry GAA chairman Jerome Conway insisted that officials in Croke Park have consistently attempted to broker a deal with an Irish company. "We looked into this motion when it came up and after doing some investigating, found out that the All-Ireland final tickets are printed in the USA while tickets for the rest of the championship are done in Italy. "There is one company in Ireland that can do it and every year they have been asked to tender for it. But when they have come back, the cost has always been too high. "Every year when the GAA are putting it out to tender, they are looking for this company but the same result comes back every time."