New chair for integration steering group to be named by Friday

Mary McAleese’s replacement as chairperson of the steering group on integration (SGI) is expected to be announced by Friday.

The candidate, identified and supported by current SGI members on Monday, must now receive endorsement from the management committees of the GAA, the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) and the Camogie Association. Meetings are scheduled as early as Thursday evening, and the Irish Examiner understands the nominee is a man.

Process and timeline

GAA director general Tom Ryan told Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne that the group “agreed unanimously on a nominee … and that person has agreed to take up that role”. He added that each organisation will meet within the next 24 hours to formally ratify the appointment and that an announcement will follow shortly.

GAA president Jarlath Burns suggested McAleese resigned after it became clear the 2027 deadline would not be met, describing her departure as “disappointing”. LGFA chief executive Lyn Savage called the decision to postpone the 2027 deadline “brave” and insisted it was necessary to “get it right”.

When asked about a new date for full integration, Tom Ryan said it would take “years”. Labour TD Alan Kelly said the Gaelic bodies would meet deputies and senators again in December to discuss the revised timetable.

Camogie Association president Brian Molloy has set January 2028 as the new delivery date for the GAA to become the single national governing body for all Gaelic games. Discussions continue over the proposed structure of vice‑presidents and the incremental approach favoured by Burns and Molloy.

Costs of integration have been outlined to Minister for Sport Patrick O’Donovan, but officials have not disclosed the figures, fearing they may be seen as prohibitive.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: Michael Kanivetsky / Pexels.