Begley calls for 'positivity' on Gaelic games merger

Gemma Begley, the head of equality and player relations at the Gaelic Players' Association, says she is "fully behind" the target of GAA integration by 2027.

In February 2024, the Gaelic Athletic Association [GAA], Ladies Gaelic Football Association [LGFA] and the Camogie Association announced an intention to merge into one body.

The Integration Steering Group for Gaelic Games is being led by Mary McAleese, the former Irish president, but in December the GAA's management committee said the deadline for full integration by 2027 was "unrealistic".

McAleese, who acknowledged there was "pockets of resistance" to the merger, felt the target was still achievable.

Bringing the three bodies together has overwhelming support from the grassroots and Begley, who was a three-time All-Star as a player with Tyrone, has urged all to "figure out a way forward" to ensure it takes place on time and said to "trust the process".

"You have to respect that they are the ones who have been tasked with seeing this through and they are telling us that 2027 is going to happen," Begley told BBC Sport NI.

"You had to trust that the committee, led by a former president, is doing a professional job on this.

"Until they have a chance to engage with the wider gaelic games community it's maybe disrespectful to question their work and the process that's ongoing.

"We have to respect that work that's ongoing, and it's up to everyone to start making it a reality. We're so passionate about it in terms of selling the opportunity."

Begley referenced the GAA's motto of 'Where we all belong' and said merging if "the right thing to do, let's figure out a way forward".

"If you were starting again tomorrow, you wouldn't be designing three versions of something that does the exact same thing for people who are in the same clubs, same counties and same provinces," said Belgley who was 2018 All-Ireland Intermediate winner in her 15th and final season with the Red Hands.

"The membership has voted for this and leadership is there to represent the membership. There's something like 97 percent support for a united future, so trust the process, trust the steering group and trust what Mary McAleese is doing.

"They're telling us 2027 is going to happen, so engage with the process, be curious about it."

You can watch the full interview with Gemma Begley at half-time of Armagh's Division One game with Monaghan on Sunday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport app & website at 13:45 GMT.

Begley has already been part of one integration when in December 2020, the Women's GPA, established in 2015, merged with the main body.

Across the four codes of men's football, ladies' football, hurling and camogie, the membership has grown to over 4000, providing a united front on a range of issues including last year's skorts v shorts row which resulted in a successful vote allowing players to choose.

The Carrickmore woman highlights this issue as one in which a joined-up approach produced a positive outcome and feels the merger of the three sporting bodies will also prove a success, highlighting her own club experience with teams from the various codes facilitating one other.

"We have to be positive about it to sell this opportunity," Begley added.

"Once you've had a good club experience, you start to ask why can't county boards start to make this happen.

"The committee talked about things like fixtures, facilities and finances. Where there's a willingness, people can start acting on this."