GAA president Larry McCarthy has called on the government to crack down on “cowardly” social media abuse.
A new SFC structure was passed from 2023 onwards at annual congress – and delegates gave the green light for the GAA, LGFA and Camogie associations to join forces under one umbrella.
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But Cork native McCarthy fumed at online abuse in his address – and called for it to be punishable under law.
McCarthy also slammed online trolls in the wake of Mayo’s All-Ireland final defeat to Tyrone last September, and says the problem will only get worse until the government takes a harer stance on the issue.
He said: “Let me reiterate a point that I made last year, and again after the All-Ireland football final; stop abusing our players, referees, and officials on social media.
“Stop the cowardly attacks on people who are volunteering their time and talent for the betterment of society.
“Stop the unwarranted assaults on people’s characters. Stop the nefarious condemnations of amateur sports people.
“The abuse that Mayo players were subject to last summer was unacceptable, not only as sportspeople, but as human beings.
“The question becomes what can we as an Association do about it? Given that we are at heart a sport organisation, I believe that the protection of amateur athletes and officials, in particular GAA, LGFA and Camogie players, through legislation should be investigated.
“The legislation would penalise severe, personal, and excessive criticism of amateur athletes and volunteers.
“A Protection of Volunteers in Amateur Sport Act might be considered by the Oireachtas Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media.”
PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE
McCarthy admits identifying those responsible and implementing punishment would be a complex process, but says the GAA has reached breaking point on the issue.
He said: “I acknowledge the difficulty in dealing with multinational conglomerates in the identification process, and that there may be a fundamental peril in the danger of restricting speech in a democratic society.
“But is Irish society at a point where a formal, legislated, deterrent of social media abuse is warranted?
“Without knowing the technicalities of the process, it would appear that it is at least worth consideration at a formal level.
“Unlike professional athletes, they are not the beneficiaries of practiced support when they are the focus of such criticism.
“The very nature of amateur sport suggests that they are the most vulnerable.”
GREEN DAY
Meanwhile McCarthy beamed as the “green” football championship proposal cruised into reality from 2023 onwards with 94.7% of the vote.
The new format retains the current national league and provincial championships as they are, followed by four round robin groups of four in the Sam Maguire and second tier Tailteann Cup competitions.
The eight provincial finalists and top eight league teams will battle it out for Sam, and the other sixteen go into the Tailteann Cup. McCarthy knows the new format will not be perfect, but welcomed change.
He said: “I am delighted that we have passed a new structure for our intercounty competitions beginning next year.
“The structure will give more games to more counties at an appropriate level and at an appropriate time of the year.
“While there may be some teething problems, as there is with any new venture, we will work through those problems and adjust accordingly.
The initiation of the Tailteann Cup will be a tremendous addition to the calendar and the opportunity for developing counties to compete and progress at an appropriate level is something very much to savour.”
