Tag Archives: GAA

KILLEEVAN GAA HISTORY

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ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF KILLEEVAN GAA AND PARISH

Michael Fisher

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JP Graham signs the book

John Patrick (JP) Graham from Killeevan is best known for his reports and commentaries on GAA matters. But the journalist is also a local historian. Earlier this year he produced a wide-ranging history of his local Club and parish entitled: “Killeevan Sarsfields GFC: A Centenary History 1915-2015 and a Parish Record”. The book (price €20) has been re-launched in time for the Christmas market and makes an ideal gift for those who have left the area and are living away from home, to remind them of their roots.

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GAA Director General Paraic Duffy at the launch of the book

JP set out to record and document the efforts of the founding fathers and the successive generations of people who contributed to the parish. The Director General of the GAA, Paraic Duffy, described the publication as very impressive. He paid tribute to the author for his ‘labour of love’ and for his unfailing, lifelong commitment to the GAA at club and county level. The book is dedicated to JP’s grandson and godson, Aaron Patrick Graham and his other five grandchildren are included in that dedication.

This book traces the story of Killeevan Sarsfields from its foundation back in 1915 when the club was formed by amalgamating the two clubs that existed in the parish at that time, Greenan’s Cross Tir na nOgs and Ture Davitts. The centenary publication traces the development of the club through its glory years in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s when Killeevan were regarded as Kings, winning the Monaghan senior double of league and championship in 1944. Thereafter the club enjoyed something of a chequered history and went out of existence for one year. But they rose from the ashes to win the intermediate double in 1974 and enjoyed further success in junior ranks in the 1990s.

The official opening of Sarsfield Park in 1983 was a highlight and the book covers in some detail the last couple of decades. Success on the field proved elusive, but a major infrastructural development programme was completed in time for the centenary year. Other aspects of parish history and life are included, with sections on Newbliss village and the development of education in the parish, including records from the old Killeevan National School.

In his introduction JP Graham says he has “tried to give a flavour of all aspects of club activity and the people involved…with a special emphasis on the games and the players. I have also tried to factor in some aspects of the social life of Killeevan club and parish, because the club is central to the parish and touches practically every family in the area”.

The book (published by R&S Printers Monaghan) contains 370 pages and is on sale in Martin’s Londis, Newbliss, Matthews of Clones, and the Eason Bookshop, Monaghan, or directly from the author.

Is leabhar iontach shuimiúil é an leabhar seo, faigh ceann roimh a imionn siad go léir. Maith thú J.P. as an obair iontach a chuir tú isteach.

GAA SAYS SAFETY RECORD IS EXEMPLARY

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Casement Park GAA ground in West Belfast

Casement Park GAA ground in West Belfast

GAA SAYS SAFETY ISSUES ARE PARAMOUNT IN NEW CASEMENT PARK PLAN 

Michael Fisher    Northern Standard  Thursday 2nd July

GAA Ard Stiúrthóir Páraic Ó Dufaigh

GAA Ard Stiúrthóir Páraic Ó Dufaigh

GAA Ard Stiúrthóir Páraic Ó Dufaigh has told a Stormont committee that the Association has an exemplary safety record and it regards safety issues are paramount. He was giving evidence last Thursday to the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly about safety fears which had been raised about the stalled plan for the redevelopment of Casement Park in Belfast.

A safety expert had claimed he faced “undue pressure” to approve the proposals and had accused Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) officials of bullying. Paul Scott claimed a proposed 38,000-seat stadium could not be evacuated safely and warned of a potential tragedy similar to the Hillsborough disaster in England.

Mr Ó Dufaigh said the GAA would categorically reject any assertion that its supporters would ever be put at risk at any of its games, or within any of its stadia. He said the Association’s partners would engage continuously with the stadiums project Safety Technical Group throughout all steps of the planning process to deliver a state of the art provincial stadium at Casement Park in Belfast for use by Antrim and Ulster. The Ard Stiúrthóir was joined at Parliament Buildings by Danny Murphy, Chief Executive and Secretary, Ulster Council GAA, Tom Daly, Chair of the Casement Park Provincial Project, Oran McCloskey, Project Director, HBJV and project designer Mike Trice, Senior Principal Architect at Populous, a globally renowned company that specialises in developing sporting stadiums.

A GAA statement said that during the session the Association had expanded upon its impeccable health and safety record citing its management of a large number of major provincial and county stadiums built to the highest specifications and conforming to all of the relevant health and safety legislation across Ireland and Britain. The Committee was briefed on the GAA hosting over one million people at its stadiums throughout the 2014 championship season, with fixtures drawing crowds of up to 82,300 for major games.

Ulster GAA chief executive Danny Murphy said the comparison with Hillsborough made at an earlier hearing of  the Stormont committee was “wildly inaccurate, unfounded and hysterical”. During last Thursday’s hearing, Mr Murphy produced an email he claimed showed that the stadium safety expert Paul Scott had been largely supportive of the design for the new Casement Park.

Mr Murphy read out an email that he said Mr Scott sent to a Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure official in August 2013. In the correspondence Mr Scott wrote: “There appears to be a consensus that the latest proposals address the exiting concerns.” Mr Murphy said the GAA believed “that this confirms that everything we were doing was moving towards an acceptance that our plans were proper and correct”. It is unclear if Mr Scott was referring to emergency exiting or general exiting arrangements for the West Belfast stadium plans.

Commenting after the Committee session, Danny Murphy said:

“The GAA has reiterated that at all stages of the Casement Park Provincial Project the development had been scrutinised throughout the design process by the STG who signed off in principle, prior to the submission of the planning application. The ongoing work to date on the safety issues and exiting made progress and this is evident in a correspondence from the Chair of the STG dated 23rd August 2013 which states that as part of the developmental process, “there appears to be a consensus that the latest proposals address the exiting concerns”. At all stage boundaries, from outline business case to the appointment of the contractor the safety of the design was paramount and whilst some contingency planning were discussed, no red flag issues were ever raised with the GAA.

“The GAA examines all industry-recognised threats and develops contingency plans to allow safe evacuation of the spectators in 18 designated grounds within Ulster. The SGSA Safety Management guidance is a vital tool which recognises partial and phased evacuation dependant on the threat. We look forward to re-engaging with the STG to develop these plans with their full input as we move forward.”

Casement Park Redevelopment Group including Ulster GAA Secretary Danny Murphy (back middle) with NI Sports Minister Carál Ní Chuilín and (right) Tom Daly, Chair of Stadium Project Board

Casement Park Redevelopment Group including Ulster GAA Secretary Danny Murphy (back middle) with NI Sports Minister Carál Ní Chuilín and (right) Tom Daly, Chair of Stadium Project Board

Tom Daly Chairman of the Casement Park Project board commented:

“In the near future the GAA will announce its programme for a fresh planning application for Antrim and Ulster’s new stadium at Casement Park. At that time we will also outline our plans for local engagement and it is our intention again to work constructively and pro-actively with all relevant stakeholders.”

He said the emergency evacuation did not appear in the risk section of the independent business case. “The Ulster GAA believe that emergency exiting was not a showstopper and never was,” he said.

Earlier Noel Molloy, former director of the DCAL stadiums programme, said there was a feeling that the STG’s Casement work was “inconsistent” with previous stadium projects at Ravenhill for Ulster Rugby and Windsor Park for the IFA. He said claims that the Casement design could have led to a Hillsborough-type scenario were “disrespectful and disingenuous” to the victims of the 1989 tragedy. “There is not a potential to have a Hillsborough scenario unless the (safety certificate) licence is given incorrectly,” he said. In December 2014, a High Court judge in Belfast ruled that the North’s Environment Minister Mark H. Durkan had acted unlawfully in approving plans for a new Casement Park stadium. The GAA is to submit another planning application.

ANTI-DOPING VIOLATION BY GAA PLAYER

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World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)

FOOTBALLER FROM LATTON SUSPENDED FOR DOPING 

Michael Fisher  Northern Standard  Thursday 18th June p.1

A GAA footballer from County Monaghan, Thomas Connolly from Latton, has received a two-year ban following an anti-doping violation. His case was reviewed by the GAA’s Anti-Doping Hearings Committee. It took the view that the violation that occurred earlier this year was not intentional and therefore not subject to the standard four-year suspension. As a result, the player is to be suspended from club and county Gaelic football for two years. He has leave to appeal the decision within 21 days.

WADA Code

WADA Code

Connolly was a trialist with the Monaghan county squad at the time he underwent out-of-competition testing in February. He provided a sample which tested positive for the presence of a prohibited substance, stanozolol, an anabolic steroid prohibited under the WADA code.  An argument advanced on his behalf at the hearing was that his status as a trial player brought him outside the Irish Sports Council’s jurisdiction to test. The tribunal, however, determined that all players at all levels and all age groups within the GAA are subject to the ISC jurisdiction to test. The committee was chaired by Belfast lawyer Adrian Colton QC, who was joined by former Dublin manager Dr Pat O’Neill and the former GAA President Nickey Brennan.

The anti-doping hearing committee stated: “We simply do not accept that lack of knowledge by an inter-county player would justify him/her being excluded from anti-doping rules which are so well established.”

Connolly was given tablets by a “work colleague” after complaining of “pain and stiffness” as a result of the training he was exposed to as a new member of Malachy O’Rourke’s Monaghan football panel.

The 23-year-old was a non-playing member of the Monaghan Minor football panel for one year. He was involved with the county Under-21 team for two years, playing one championship match before the county was knocked out of the competition. He was invited to attend training and to become part of the Monaghan Senior county football panel from November 2014 until March 2015, when he played three practice matches. He also played one full half of a McKenna Cup match and made two brief appearances as a substitute in the remaining Monaghan games in that competition. He was named on the senior panel for one National League game and continued to train with the team. On February 13th at the Cloghran training grounds he was subjected to an out of competition test by the Irish Sports Council.

Irish Sports Council

Irish Sports Council

A month later Connolly was informed of an adverse analytical finding and told he was being charged with an anti-doping rule violation. The player admitted he had taken tablets and at the hearing produced the actual container they were in. In written submissions and in oral evidence to the committee, “he indicated that he was given a container with tablets by a work colleague, whom he named…He took 4 tablets per day – 2 in the morning and 2 with his dinner for 4 or 5 days and stopped using the tablets a day or two before he was tested because they were of no benefit to him and he continued to feel pain…and stiffness as a result of the training he had undertaken.”

Monaghan GAA

Monaghan GAA

Despite Monaghan manager Malachy O’Rourke and county board chairman Padraig Sherry testifying that Connolly had not been informed of anti-doping rules, it was established that each player is responsible for educating himself about banned substances.

The committee’s report continued: “As Mr O’Rourke said in his evidence – ‘I do understand that players are subject to anti-doping rules, yes,’

“Question: Okay, and do you think that they have a responsibility to make sure that they don’t take steroids, for example?’

“Answer (O’Rourke): ‘Yeah.’”

Connolly’s testimony and legal argument by his barrister, Aaron Shearer, convinced the committee that the player unknowingly took steroids and that his breach of the rule was not intentional. In cross-examination, the GAA’s barrister David Casserly “strongly challenged” this claim by Connolly.

“Whilst we accept that his conduct falls short of recklessness, we consider that there is a high degree of negligence in this case,” read the ruling, which the committee said was a very finely balanced decision. That allowed Connolly to receive a two rather than four year ban. As he is a member of the GAA, the committee stated that the Irish Sports Council had a right to test Connolly.

Gaelic Athletic Association

Gaelic Athletic Association

The finding states that the lawyer for the GAA had “urged the Committee to draw an adverse inference from the athlete’s failure not to call evidence from the colleague who supplied him with the tablets. However we were not willing to do so and did not want to speculate on the many potential reasons why he did not attend the hearing.”

The committee also expressed its concern about the apparent lack of understanding and application of the anti-doping rules and processes at county level in this case.

“Whilst we were impressed by the evidence of Messrs [Feargal] McGill and [Ruairi] Harvey [both of the GAA player welfare] in respect of anti-doping education at central level, we would urge the GAA to intensify its work to ensure that all players, county officers, coaches, managers, medical and allied sports science personnel and players representatives are fully cognisant of their obligations under the Association’s anti-doping rules”, the committee stated.

Gaelic Players Association

Gaelic Players Association

In a statement the Gaelic Players Association said throughout the investigation and hearing, it had provided the player with personal and professional support and would continue to do so, although he is not a member of the players’ body.

The Association said GPA members were regularly informed that they may be selected for testing and that the ISC Anti-doping Code is enshrined in the GAA rulebook. All stakeholders within the games had a responsibility to ensure that players, particularly new panellists, were aware of the Anti-Doping Code and that the Association continued to support a culture of drug-free sport within Gaelic games.

The statement added: “We would appeal to everyone to respect the privacy of this young player and his family at this difficult time. We would also appeal to the media, in relation to this issue, to respect the preparations of the Monaghan players and management in advance of their important championship game.”

CLONES ‘NOT BEING DOWNGRADED’

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GAA President Aoghan Ó Fearghail at St Joseph's Boys NS Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

GAA President Aoghán Ó Fearghail at St Joseph’s Boys NS Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

GAA PRESIDENT SAYS CLONES IS NOT BEING DOWNGRADED 

Michael Fisher Northern Standard Thursday 21st May p.2

Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Aogán Ó Fearghail says the Association is not downgrading St Tiarnach’s Park in Clones, while at the same time seeking to redevelop Casement Park in Belfast. During a visit to Carrickmacross on Monday (18th May), the GAA President told the Northern Standard Clones had nothing to fear from Casement. He said Clones (where the Ulster Final has traditionally been played) provided a very vital infrastructure for the GAA over the years. He said the GAA in Ulster was also committed to developing Casement. But the planned development of a 38,000 capacity arena was stalled in December following a court case in Belfast. Planning permission for the expansion of the stadium was denied by the High Court after an objection from a local residents’ group They raised concerns about what kind of impact the larger crowds would have on the area. The GAA President said the Association always respected rules and decisions and would await the outcome of any further planning enquiries. He pointed to the situation at Kingspan Breffni Park, where Cavan take on Monaghan on Sunday in the Ulster Championship. He said ten years ago some people thought the stadium had reached the end of its existence as a GAA venue, but now after redevelopment it was one of the finest such stadiums in the country.

CASEMENT PARK DECISION

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Casement Park, Belfast Picture: BBC

Casement Park, Belfast Picture: BBC

A judge has now given his decision about the controversial plans to revamp Casement Park GAA grounds in Andersonstown, West Belfast. The NewsLetter reports that planning permission for the 38,000-seater stadium has been overturned after some local residents objected.

Mr Justice Mark Horner gave a decision at Belfast’s High Court. He said: “I have decided to quash the decision.” Earlier  he highlighted a number of serious flaws in the decision to give the plans the green light and said Stormont environment minister Mark H. Durkan’s decision to grant permission was unlawful.

He identified failures in the environmental impact assessment of the larger stadium and said there had been a reliance by the Department of Environment on an inaccurate figure of 32,600 capacity as a baseline for the project. The effect of huge crowds on the road network to the stadium was also not properly considered, according to the judge.

A residents’ group took legal proceedings against Mr Durkan’s decision to approve the £77 million redevelopment. The Mooreland and Owenvarragh Residents’ Association argued that their homes would be dwarfed by the new stadium. Outside the court, Carmel McKavanagh, representing the residents, said it was now up to the GAA to consult them.

“We are delighted at the verdict but also sorry that it has come to this stage. We could have avoided all this hassle, the court case and the cost to everybody concerned if the GAA in particular had listened to us. Most of the defects the judge pointed out were serious ones, they were not half-hearted ones, they were very serious issues that we put to the GAA and planners a long time ago. We have always said we are not against the development of Casement Park, just the size and scale of it”, she said.

Chairman of the GAA’s Casement Park Project Board, Tom Daly, said he was disappointed. He noted the judgment found the siting, size and scale of the Casement Park development were not contrary to planning policy.

“There is a strong resolve within the GAA to submit a new planning application in 2015 which will again follow the due process and scrutiny of the Department of the Environment. This is in keeping with the GAA’s strategic requirement of developing a fit-for-purpose, modern provincial stadium for Ulster at Casement Park. “Ulster GAA remains committed to working with the local community to see the completion of a world-class stadium which has far-reaching benefits for all”, he said.

The North’s Sports Minister Carál Nί Chuilίn said: “I am aware that the GAA offered a number of solutions which sought to address the issues raised in the judgment and I am disappointed that no accommodation was reached. The GAA have indicated that they will lodge a fresh planning application which will take account of the points raised in the judgment and I and my department will fully support them during the new planning process.”

CASEMENT PARK

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New Casement Park Aerial View Photo: Casement Park Redevelopment Project

New Casement Park Aerial View Photo: Casement Park Redevelopment Project

It was to be the GAA’s showcase in Ulster: a completely revamped £77m stadium at Casement Park in West Belfast that would seat 38,000 fans. It would take over from Páirc Naomh Tiarnach in the border town of Clones in County Monaghan as the venue for Ulster football finals. Now a judge at the High Court in Belfast has found that the planning application approved by the North’s Environment Minister Mark H. Durkan was “irretrievably flawed“.

The judicial review that lasted thirteen days heard that defects were also identified in the environmental survey, with no assessment of the impact on local residents of extra stadium facilities such as conference suites, bars, restaurants and car parking. A further hearing is expected later this week to decide the final outcome of the case.

Environment Minister Mark H.Durkan announces approval for project, December 2013 Photo: Casement Park Redevelopment Project

Environment Minister Mark H.Durkan announces approval for project, December 2013 Photo: Casement Park Redevelopment Project

The new stadium was set to be included in the list of GAA venues to be used as one of the Ireland’s bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Hugo McNeill, the chairman of the bid, last month said that the Casement Park upgrade was “crucial” to the Northern Ireland component of its proposal.

Chairman of the Casement Park Project Board, Tom Daly, said they were “deeply disappointed” by the decision. “The proposed redevelopment of Casement Park would have provided the opportunity of a world class provincial stadium for the GAA and the broader community in the heart of Belfast. It would also have provided much needed economic and social benefits to west Belfast and beyond, including financial investment, new jobs, apprenticeships and community projects. Over the coming weeks we will reflect on this decision and consider what the next steps are for Casement Park”, he said.

The redevelopment of Casement Park is part of the Northern Ireland Executive’s policy to upgrade the three major sports grounds in Belfast – soccer’s Windsor Park, Ulster Rugby’s ground at Ravenhill and the GAA stadium at Casement. Three new stands have been constructed at Ravenhill. Work is ongoing on modernising Windsor Park, the home of Irish League club Linfield and the Northern Ireland international team.

I note that former Clones resident Darach MacDonald says he is not going to gloat about this outcome, which he has predicted several times to general disbelief. However, he thinks somebody needs to explain, and quickly, how a planning process described as ‘irretrievably flawed’ was presented to GAA fans and the general public as a fait accompli. From the outset, this was a politically tainted and contrived vanity project to siphon off public funds on a sectarian pretext for an inappropriate development in a place where it was not wanted, he said. 

Ulster Final Clones July 2013 Monaghan v Donegal Photo: © Michael Fisher

Ulster Final Clones July 2013 Monaghan v Donegal Photo: © Michael Fisher

Meanwhile, the existing venue for the Ulster Football Final, the provincial showpiece for the sport, has been relegated to a state of neglect pending redundancy (without floodlights or other investment since the early 1990s), disparaged and dismissed by those who pursued their ‘Field of Dreams’. As a life-long supporters of Gaelic games, Darach says he is “disgusted and impatient for answers”.

TRUAGH CHAMPIONS

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Truagh Gaels Photo: © Michael Fisher

Truagh Gaels Photo: © Michael Fisher

Congratulations to Gaeil Triucha GAA club from North Monaghan, All-Ireland intermediate club champions 2014. In the final at Croke Paek they beat Kiltane from Mayo by an eight points margin, 2-21 to 2-13. Truagh lead by four points at half time, 2-10 to 2-06. The Monaghan men got off to a flying start with two well-taken scores from play but then conceded a penalty when Tommy Conroy was fouled. Mikey Sweeney then added a goal for Kiltane, putting them four points in the lead, before Truagh took control again. I was impressed with the performance of Mark Counihan up front. Plenty of celebration tonight no doubt North of Emyvale, towards Carrickroe and Clara! I was glad to see some of my Tydavnet neighbours there in support of the North Monaghan representatives. Also present was the President of the GAA’s Ulster Council Martin McAviney from Ballybay. Just a pity that Emyvale narrowly missed qualifying for the junior club championship final which was the curtain-raiser. Their semi-final victors Twomilehouse from Kildare saw of the challenge of Fuerty from Roscommon in another high-scoring game 5-7 to 1-11. Both were great advertisements for club football. More details of the match on the official GAA site here and you can find more pictures on the Monaghan GAA site here.

TRUAGH GRIT!

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Congratulations on a great finish and a win by the footballers from Truagh Gaels: on now to the All-Ireland Intermediate Club final in Croke Park on February 9th. Hard luck also to Emyvale GAA footballers  who lost by a single point against Twomilehouse from County Kildare. An interesting name for the opponents as there is a Threemilehouse in North Monaghan! Coverage of both matches with plenty of photographs can be found on Peadar MacMahon’s website emyvale.net.

No doubt there were plenty of divided loyalties in various families in the two neighbouring parishes. Emyvale is in the parish of Donagh, which stretches from Knocknagrave across to Edenmore (Tommie Bowe’s former school), the Blue Bridge at Inishdevlin, Emyvale and across to Glennan chapel and Glaslough. It also includes Corracrin opposite Anketell Grove on the main Dublin to Derry N2 road, where St Patrick’s chapel is located. Knockronaghan on the other side of the main road is also included. The McCarron family has connections both in Knocknagrave (original homestead) and Knockronaghan.

Heading out of Emyvale towards the border at Moybridge along the N2 main road, you pass the Silver Hill duck processing plant. Among the local groups they sponsor is Truagh Gaels GAA Club, whose clubhouse and pitch is further along the road. Red and black flags are flying outside many houses and on telephone poles. Errigal Truagh parish includes Clara, Carrickroe and Ballyoisin, where there are chapels. The latter is just off the main road on the right hand side heading towards Aughnacloy, before Moybridge. Beside the chapel there is a vibrant community centre and a national school.

NUJ IRELAND BDC

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IEC Cathaoirleach Gerry Curran addresses the BDC Photo: © Michael Fisher

IEC Cathaoirleach Gerry Curran addresses the BDC Photo: © Michael Fisher

Conferences for the NUJ in Ireland are held every two years. The wider union is also moving to a two-year cycle for the Delegate Meeting, which had already been shifted to an eighteen months interval in order to save money. The next DM will be held in Eastbourne in April and motions for it need to be submitted to our branch meeting by midday on Friday week (22nd November). Please contact Branch Secretary Gerry Carson.

NUJ General Secretary Michelle Stanistreet with ICTU President John Douglas and Irish Secretary Seamus Dooley Photo: © Michael Fisher

NUJ General Secretary Michelle Stanistreet with ICTU President John Douglas and Irish Secretary Seamus Dooley Photo: © Michael Fisher

On Saturday, ICTU President John Douglas addressed the NUJ in Ireland biennial delegate conference, which was held once again in the Cusack stand conference centre at the GAA headquarters at Croke Park. Another meeting was being held on the same level in a different section further along the corridor and above the GAA Museum on the ground floor.

Michael Cusack statue & stand, Croke Park Photo: © Michael Fisher

Michael Cusack statue & stand, Croke Park Photo: © Michael Fisher

From our vantage point we could see that repair work was continuing on the pitch to protect it during the winter. In the Hogan stand, groups were being taken on tours of the impressive stadium.

Croke Park pitch Photo: © Michael Fisher

Croke Park pitch Photo: © Michael Fisher

The NUJ website contains some details of the proceedings. Good to see that the government has withdrawn amendments relating to the Freedom of Information legislation that would have introduced new charges.

NUJ General Secretary Michelle Stanistreet addressing the BDC Photo: © Michael Fisher

NUJ General Secretary Michelle Stanistreet addressing the BDC Photo: © Michael Fisher

The union called for immediate publication of Irish government proposals for legislation guaranteeing workers the right to collective representation and bargaining. The NUJ also called for the appointment of a Minister for labour affairs of cabinet rank in order to give greater priority to the rights of workers.

In his report to the conference, Séamus Dooley, NUJ Irish Secretary, said the official commemoration of the 1913 Lock Out will be remembered as “a hypocritical charade”, if the government commitment to publish legislation on collective bargaining is not honoured by the end of this year. He said the inadequate protection for workers and the absence of the legal right to collective representation is a scandal which cannot be ignored. The NUJ and SIPTU, through the ICTU, are preparing a complaint to the Geneva-based International Labour Organisation on the denial of the right to representation.

ICTU President Gerry Douglas addresses NUJ BDC Photo: © Michael Fisher

ICTU President John Douglas addresses NUJ BDC Photo: © Michael Fisher

The report highlights the failure of successive governments to honour commitments to bring about legislative change to protect freelance workers. In the report, Séamus Dooley says:

“We consider the failure to implement the solemn commitments regarding the right of freelance workers to collective representation through amendment of Competition Law as a betrayal. It is ironic that the state should celebrate the contribution of Larkin, who organised self-employed workers, but force unions to seek relief through the ILO after more than a decade of broken promises,”

The last national agreement, Towards 2016, contains a specific commitment to reform of competition law which still has not been honoured. The union is also calling for the establishment of a minister for labour affairs of cabinet rank as a means of ensuring that employment rights are given greater priority, a call first made by the NUJ in 2007.

The NUJ conference also passed two motions dealing with the ‘JobBridge’ programme. In his report, Séamus Dooley called on the government to abandon the scheme. He said there was clear evidence that JobBridge was being used by a range of media organisations as a source of free labour.

IEC Cathaoirleach Gerry Curran received a gift of a framed cartoon. Pictured with Michelle Stanistreet Photo: © Michael Fisher

IEC Cathaoirleach Gerry Curran received a gift of a framed cartoon. Pictured with Michelle Stanistreet Photo: © Michael Fisher

MONAGHAN: ULSTER KINGS & QUEENS

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Ulster senior champions 2013: Monaghan Picture: RTE Sport www.rte.ie/sport/gaa

Ulster senior champions 2013: Monaghan Picture: RTE Sport http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa

Seniors & Minors, Men & Ladies: Ulster Champions x 4!

Seniors & Minors, Men & Ladies: Ulster Champions x 4! Photo: Michael Fisher

Monaghan GAA are tops in Ulster: the Kings and Queens of Ulster football, as Monaghan town Mayor Paul McGeown described them. Congratulations to all four Ulster champions: Minor ladies (Muireann O’Rourke); Seniors (Owen Lennon: Anglo-Celt Cup); Senior ladies (Therese McNally: O’Harte Cup) and Minors (Ryan McAnespie: Fr Murray Cup). Five pieces of silverware on display at The Diamond, as the minors had the Ulster Minor League Cup as well! When will we see the likes of that again!

Crow at The Diamond, Monaghan

Crowd at The Diamond, Monaghan Photo: Michael Fisher