THE Mary McAleese chaired Steering Group for Integration has revealed that the new body, featuring the three Gaelic Games associations, will be called the GAA.
2027 was yesterday unveiled as the deadline for the GAA, Camogie Association and Ladies Gaelic Football Association to fully come under the one umbrella.
And the new organisation will be known as the Gaelic Athletic Association.
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“The GAA, as we know it today, when integration is complete will be a different organisation,” said McAleese.
“But the name, of course, will be the GAA, which has a reach right around the globe.
“We did look at this because this was raised in a minor way.
“Actually, quite surprisingly there was very, very little support for, if you like, tabula rasa (a clean slate).
“I think most people realised in order to do that we could be talking about a 10 to 20-year project.
“We would also be making a lot of work for property lawyers.
“So, the most efficient and effective way of facilitating integration was the two formidable organisations - the Camogie Association and Ladies Gaelic Football Association - integrating with the GAA.”
McAleese said all the staff in the LGFA and Camogie Association will “move over to work with the GAA” over the coming months and years.
“We haven’t got a fixed date for that but certainly very rapidly we will begin to see that happen.
“The staff of those two organisations are given the comfort of knowing they are moving whole and entire into the GAA family.
“And they will have the opportunity to make a huge contribution to what will be a new GAA, a different GAA.”
“All the staff from both those organisations will move over to work within the GAA. That will happen relatively quickly over the coming months, or coming years.
