Emmet Moloney writes for the 'The Irish Farmers Journal' and is a former sports columnist with 'The Kerryman'.

For the past few weeks, the news has been compulsive viewing and rarely for the right reasons. It is hard to find the positivity we so need, but search for it we must. Emmet Moloney offers his contribution...

There’s an election coming up and there is every chance that a number of independent candidates will win seats as people turn away from the mainstream political parties. That is perfectly understandable but are we in sport missing a chance here? Should the sporting fraternities not be represented in Dáil Éireann? This could be our chance.

The GAA alone has power beyond most of the normal political parties with membership levels the equal of all of them put together. And a couple of hundred thousand more with it. Why aren’t we utilising this?

The IFA is a perfect example of a lobby group that punches way above its weight. This is an organisation that fearlessly works exclusively for its members. It shapes policy and it gets things done. Politically, it is a heavyweight. The GAA could be something similar. Only bigger. Think about it for a minute. The GAA can call on a million-odd members, thousands of people in each and every constituency. People who are used to getting things done on their own, without much help from Government, Lotto funds, etc. If you can run a GAA club, then you can run almost any organisation. A Government department would be a doddle.

The GAA has a major role to play in the rescuing of our society in the coming years. Us members are best-placed to see what is wrong and what needs fixing. We are the experts in pulling together. When challenges present themselves to a local community, the GAA is never found wanting. Well, we have a challenge now.

There’s talk about a new political movement, about there being the appetite for such a new movement. Why bother when we have such a movement up and running for over 125 years. It’s time the GAA got involved. Really involved.

It’s simple really. Every club sends five delegates to a county convention where one or two candidates are selected from the GAA community to run in the forthcoming General Election. Once those candidates are elected, the GAA clubs themselves kick into gear. Teams of canvassers from every club works in their community, gathering votes for the GAA candidate. There is no reason why a GAA candidate could not be elected in every constituency in the country.

Every candidate will run on the same platform. The GAA platform. That means our objectives to the forefront of any political agenda. No Government takes power without our votes and that means our policies getting a run out. We’re not Healy-Raes or Lowrys or Greens. We’re not looking for potholes to be filled or casinos to be built or hunts to be banned. No, we’d like investments in our communities to be made on a needs basis, not a political one. We’d like to see a real financial commitment made to the sporting organisations that are so important to the lifeblood of every town and village. A new emphasis on sport for our young people in our schools and universities. Facilities to be built by skilled tradesmen who are looking for work.

Let’s come up with 10 points – 10 actionable points. These are the 10 we’re going to implement. If you want our support, you’d better be willing to sign up to them. They won’t be too outlandish. A community centre to be built and maintained in every parish within two years. A sporting coach to be assigned to every primary and secondary school in the country. We won’t be blinkered either. That coach can impart the skills for any number of sports. Yes, even Gaelic football and handball! Let’s get our kids healthy and fit, with an appreciation of fresh air.

As for the rest of the political scheming that goes on, we have some seriously intelligent people in the GAA family, a committee of eight or nine of them could guide our TDs in how to vote on all the other issues. A second Central Council, if you will. All our members would be players or administrators and we’d have a strong emphasis on youth. Let’s not send our best and brightest abroad; let’s send 40 or 50 of them to Dublin for three days a week. We’d keep the rest of them honest. It’s not as bizarre as it reads. In times of crisis, why not look to the success stories that are among us!

Pitfalls? There are many. We are dealing with human beings, after all, and that can mean personalities and do we really want the GAA up to its neck in politics? (It’s not as if there isn’t any politics in the organisation as it stands!) Why not? Can things get any worse?
I’m not talking about a coup. I’m talking about responsible people being involved in straightening the mess out and putting us back on the right road. An organisation like the GAA has a decent track record is acting for the greater good.

From Jack Lynch to Jimmy Deenihan, there have been plenty of hurling and football TDs, but usually representing one of the two main parties. Why can’t we put up our own men and women? What would be wrong with having our people around the table making the decisions?

This is a time for serious people and the GAA has plenty of them – the talents that built Croke Park, that engage every parish in the country, that has such a positive influence on our lives. That’s not Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael or Labour. That’s the GAA. As effective a body as this country has ever seen or is ever likely to see.

It’s not as mad as it first sounded, is it? We all know the GAA. We know what it stands for. We know what it can do. We know the power it can wield. What would be so wrong with wielding it?


To catch Emmet's latest column, get 'The Irish Farmers' Journal' every Thursday...