Launch of the history of The Gaelic Athletic Association in Dublin 1884-2000
I am delighted to be here this evening for the launch of this history of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Dublin 1884-2000.
Usually in attending these events, I only get to launch one book. Tonight, however, is a particular honour. It is not often that one gets to launch a three-volume chronicle of one of the most vibrant and dynamic associations in the country on the same evening!
What has been delivered today is a valuable history and reference source detailing the development of a sporting Association in Dublin over almost twelve decades. Not only do these volumes analyse the ebb and flow of the GAA in the city, they also paint a superb portrait of the social and political context in which the Association evolved. In this way, this history is not just an important reference source for GAA supporters. It is also a valuable resource for anyone interested in the political, social and cultural development of the Irish State.
I would like to pay tribute tonight to the four men who played such an important role in bringing this history together – William Nolan, Marcus deBúrca, David Gorry and Jim Wren. William Nolan’s editing skills have ensured the production of a history that is well structured, accessible and narrated with an ease of style. Details of county board politics, administrative procedures, club developments and key matches are mixed with political and social commentary. And, of course, Jim Wren’s valuable photographic record adds hugely to this. It is the comprehensive analysis of the many strands that make up an Association as ingrained in Irish life as the GAA that makes this book a compelling read.
What is clear from the early chapters of the book is that the GAA in Dublin was very much bound up with the political and cultural developments of the time. As stated in the conclusion, the “GAA in Dublin carried a distinctive cultural baggage, which pronounced it as the most Irish of organisations.” In those early days, this can be seen in the names given to clubs – many which highlighted the revivalist philosophy of the young organisation – Erin’s Hope, Wolfe Tones, Henry Grattans and Erin go Bragh amongst them. As stated, “it was felt at the time that if the Irish people could successfully organise their own games, they could also organise their own country.”
Most interesting however, is that while the organisation was to the fore in building cultural nationalism, the players, supporters and administrators did not form a unified political mass. Internal wrangling and splits over political allegiances were common.
That said, some 300 Dublin GAA personnel were identified as forming part of the Volunteers or Citizen Army in 1916. Equally, some of the most enthusiastic and committed proponents of GAA in Dublin were also key revolutionary figures - Michael Collins, Harry Boland, Eamon deValera, Dan Breen, Seán McKeown and Eamonn Ceannt amongst them. Michael Collins’ rousing speech to the Kilkenny team in 1921 reflects the strong interlinks between sport, culture and politics at the time.
To my mind, the real strength of the Association in Dublin was tested during the ideological split caused by the Civil War of 1922-1924. While the final years of the last century might have been characterised by heated boardroom politics, it was the years of national political upheaval that could have sounded the death knell for the Association. Much to its credit however, the Dublin Association continued to drive forward the development of the organisation as opposed to focussing on potentially divisive politics. As stated by Eoin O’Duffy, who controlled both the Garda Siochána and the army in the Irish Free State, “the GAA did more to minimise bitterness in and after the Civil War than any other organisation in Ireland.”
It is clear today that very valuable lessons were learned during that period as to the ongoing running of the Association. Even today, it is the promotion and development of our national games at all levels, rather than unhealthy rivalries between opposing sides that are at the heart of the GAA across the country.
But just as much as this book focuses on the Dublin GAA’s role in the political development of the State, it also paints a vivid picture of the social context of the Association. In the initial chapters, we learn of the importance of Dublin draperies and breweries to the developing Association. Accounts of matches between rival drapers such as Clery’s and Arnotts demonstrate the importance of these firms in terms of employment – particularly for young men coming from the country. Later, the three pillar institutions of the new State – the Army, the Garda Siochána and the Civil Service – played a significant role in the development of the Association. In fact, we are told that the Garda team of the 1920s may have been the greatest hurling team of all time.
Later as the city changed and people spread farther and farther into the suburbs, another series of challenges faced the Association. Memorable passages in the book, describe Seán Óg Ó Ceallacháin training on the new green spaces created in housing developments in Marino. It was during these later decades that the importance of both grounds and clubhouse took centre stage for the Association.
While teams had trained in the early days wherever they could find space, it became ever more important for clubs to establish a strong foothold in developing suburbs. The rise of St Vincent’s in the 1960s reflected just this. And the work of the McNamee Commission in 1970 emphasised the importance of a social outlet in the local GAA club. As stated in their report, the club envisaged for the future would be required “to cater for the social, recreational and sporting needs of its members from early youth to middle age”.
Being privileged enough to visit clubs the length and breadth of this city today, I would be first to acknowledge that this emphasis both on the social and sporting side of our national games has proven key to the success of the GAA in Dublin. With the foundation of the GAA in 1884 and the subsequent foundation of the Dublin Committee of the GAA in 1886, there were at most some half-dozen teams in the city. Today, however, the Dublin Association can boast of some 90 clubs.
That growth would not have happened were it not for the commitment of legions of volunteers down through the decades. Equally, it would not have happened were it not for the Association’s ability to move with the times, to anticipate and react to major social developments in this city and, most importantly, to create strongholds of sporting and social activity in our communities.
And now by providing us with such a comprehensive analysis of the history of the Association in Dublin over 116 years, we gain a sense of the strength of the foundations on which the Association has been built. That strength certainly bodes well for the future of our national games and the Association in this city.
Mar fhocail scór, comhghairdeachas libh arís mar gheall ar leabhar chomh forleathan seo a chur ar fáil. Táim cinnte go mbainfidh an-chuid daoine sa chathair seo an-taitneamh as an foilsiucháin íontach seo.
Go raibh mile maith agaibh uile.
ENDS