Mayo minister meets senior GAA officials in Croke Park

THE Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary, had a very useful engagement with Uachtarán CLG Jarlath Burns and senior GAA officials in Croke Park this week.

During the meeting they discussed the government’s Our Rural Future policy, and how the GAA can feed into the updated version of the policy which is presently under review.

As the country’s largest sporting and voluntary organisation, the GAA is an essential component of the social and cultural fabric of many towns, villages and parishes. GAA clubs act as focal points for culture and identity, for volunteering and inclusion, and for community activity across generations.

Ministers Calleary and Minister of State Jerry Buttimer extended the invitation to the GAA’s National Demographics Committee to outline to them the issues facing clubs in rural Ireland and afford the opportunity to hear about the importance of initiatives which support the continued sustainability of rural communities.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Minister Calleary said: “The GAA is deeply woven into the everyday life of rural Ireland. More than any other organisation, the GAA have a footprint in every parish in Ireland and know, more than most, what is needed to keep the heart beating in the community.

“GAA clubs provide a space where people come together – not only to play sport, but to volunteer, to catch up with neighbours, to socialise and, in times of need, to support one another. That is why the GAA’s perspective is so important to the next iteration of Our Rural Future.”