THE GAA TO 1891
BACKGROUND - THE CONTEXT: CULTURAL NATIONALISM (A NEW NATIONALISM)
In 1870s and 1880s nationalism focused on the goal of Irish self-government in the form of the Home Rule
movement and the land movement. In 1890 political nationalism fell into crisis. Before the 1890s there was
not a great deal of emphasis on culture as a way of expressing national identity. The culture of a people can
include language, customs, traditions, manners, dress games, music and dance. Culture helps to unite people
and distinguish them from others.
CULTURAL NATIONALISM
This emerged at the end of the 19thc. It did not result in the formation of political parties but played an
important role in promoting a sense of identity and a sense of distinctiveness from English culture. New
movements emerged that tried to promote Ireland’s distinctive Gaelic heritage. It included:
 The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) to promote the playing of traditional Irish games.
 The Gaelic League to promote the Irish language.
 An Anglo-Irish Literary Revival.
CULTURE IN IRELAND
The issue of culture was complex in the Irish context. The culture of most people was a result of
‘Anglicisation’, which was the spread of English culture to Ireland; this was the spread of English manners,
customs, literature, sport, music and language. This was accepted by most people and seemed to be a natural
extension of being part of the British political system, law and commercial life. Anglicisation had begun with
the plantations and had continued to develop after the famine for the following reasons:
 Emigration to English-speaking nations meant that there was an emphasis on the speaking of English.
 Mass education was often conducted in English.
 Train travel brought newspapers to remote areas.
Critics of Anglicisation referred to those Irish people who embraced British culture as ‘West Brits’.
In the latter part of the 19thc figures such as Michael Cusack, W.B. Yeats, Douglas Hyde and Lady Gregory
emerged as national figures in the forefront of the new movement for cultural regeneration. It was a
movement that aimed at showing that there were real differences between Irish and English people. Those
who promoted new movements felt that Ireland had to move quickly to revive traditional Irish culture
because:
 There was a sense that traditional Irish culture was disappearing rapidly and would be lost forever if
urgent action were not taken.
 That a Gaelic revival offered a way forward to restore national pride, to ‘rise above the shabby and
degrading world of political nationalism’.
‘De-Anglicisation’ was the term used by Douglas Hyde and was the movement to reverse the spread of
English culture. Ireland would be able to take pride in her Gaelic heritage and emerge as a proud,
independent nation. Some believed that both cultures could co-exist. Others took a more extreme view and
believed that Irish culture was superior to British culture.
IRISH IRELAND
An idea of ‘Irish Ireland’ emerged and refers to the idea that Ireland should have an Irish culture rather than
an English one. Irish Irelanders aimed for greater political, cultural and economic independence from Britain.
They took a positive view of all things Irish and a strong anti-British bias. Britain and British culture was
regarded as a malign influence on Ireland.
WHY DID CULTURAL NATIONALISM DEVELOP?
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It received impetus from the political Home Rule movement. The movement had increased nationalism
and many began to look beyond politics as a way of expressing national identity.
The divisions in the Home Rule movement and the death of Parnell had led an increasing number to
become disillusioned with mass politics.
The growth of literacy and more access to education meant that more and more people developed an
interest in language and literature.
It has also been interpreted as a reaction against imperialism. People feared that military and political
imperialism would be followed by the eradication of local distinctiveness and ‘cultural imperialism’.
ORIGINS OF THE GAA - KEY PERSONALITIES: MICHAEL CUSACK
He was born in Co. Clare and worked as a teacher for a while (in Blackrock and Clongowes) before founding
a school to educate those preparing for civil service examinations. This made him wealthy. He was interested
in all aspects of Gaelic culture (he was also prominent in the movement for the revival of the Irish language)
and set up the Civil Service Academy Hurling Club. He was disillusioned with what he saw as the social
exclusiveness of sport and he was determined to open up mass participation and end what he thought of as
the Anglicisation of Irish athletics. With the influx of English sports and pastimes, Cusack saw a serious
threat to Irish national games of hurling and football, which he saw as national sports and he was determined
to spread the new radical ‘nationalist’ message across the country. He was concerned that if the youth of
Ireland were, because of the lack of Gaelic alternatives, forced to play British sports like rugby, soccer or
cricket, then how could nationalism ever hope to succeed? He was tactless and difficult to work with and he
was quickly pushed aside once the GAA was established; for the rest of the life he was effectively estranged
from the movement he had founded but was given a ‘monster’ funeral in recognition of his role in reviving
Gaelic sporting pastimes.
ARCHBISHOP THOMAS WILLIAM CROKE
He was born in Co. Cork and was educated in Paris and Rome. He was Bishop of Auckland, New Zealand
(1870-75) before being appointed Archbishop of Cashel (1875-1902). A committed nationalist he strongly
supported the Land League and gave assistance to tenants evicted during the land war. He also gave his
strong backing to Home Rule and became a strong critic of Parnell after the O’Shea divorce case. An
articulate and vocal supporter of Gaelic sports, Croke was among the early patrons of the GAA. Croke Park,
now the GAA headquarters, commemorates his early role in the Association. Croke’s letter of endorsement
for the new association marks a forthright illumination of what the GAA stood for and also recognised that to
fully achieve the goals the movement would have to work towards removing all aspects of British influence
from Ireland including sports, pastimes and even mannerisms.
MAURICE DAVIN (1864-1927)
Born in Co. Tipperary, Davin was a farmer who gained international reputation for breaking world records in
running, hurdling, jumping and weight throwing. He was extremely well known in sporting circles and as a
supporter of moderate politics was generally well regarded by all shades of opinion. Together with Michael
Cusack, in November 1884 he was instrumental in forming the GAA and became its first President. He
proved to be an active member.
MICHAEL DAVITT
He was the son of an evicted farmer and had been injured in an industrial accident in Lancashire. He had
been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment as a Fenian in 1870 and was released in 1877. He had been
instrumental in the ‘New Departure’ and the foundation of the national Land league. He had been expelled
from the IRB’s supreme council in 1880 and was imprisoned in 1881 for Land League activities. He was on
the anti-Parnell side in the split and later became an MP. He was a friend of Michael Cusack and was
consulted in advance of the foundation of the GAA and concurring with the aims of the movement became
one of its first patrons.
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ORIGINS - THE FOUNDATION OF THE GAA IN 1884
It was founded at a gathering, which took place at Hayes Hotel in Thurles, Co. Tipperary at a meeting
attended by 12 men on 1 November 1884. The key figure in the formation of the GAA was Michael Cusack
and it was founded with the object of preserving Gaelic games from extinction in Ireland. It was the
culmination of a period of planning by Cusack. He had secured the support of Maurice Davin, who was one
of the most famous, respected and successful athletes in Ireland it was agreed that he should become its first
President because of the enormous respect that he was able to command in Ireland. Cusack became the
Secretary. Archbishop Croke of Cashel was one of its first patrons as was Charles Stewart Parnell and
Michael Davitt. The former Fenian John O’Leary became a patron in 1886. The participation of these men
placed the GAA firmly within the nationalist camp. At the first meeting the key aims of the GAA were set
out:
 To organise Irish sports according to Irish rules.
 To draw up rules for the playing of these sports.
 To allow membership to all classes.
WHY WAS THE GAA FOUNDED BY CUSACK?
 Ireland has always had unique sports. The oldest was hurling (played since the 5thc), Gaelic football
(dates from 16thc) and other sports such as handball and athletics. These were in decline because of
increased emigration and the fact that they were not formally organised.
 He had been dismayed by the decline of hurling and other Irish sports because of advances which had
been made by British sports which had become more organised (the Football Association, established in
Britain in 1863, and the Rugby Football Union, established in 1871, had formally organised the games of
football and rugby). Rules of play were drawn up and sporting clubs were established and they spread to
Ireland.
 In the sphere of athletics the English-based AAA (Amateur Athletics Association) had been set up and in
Ireland the Irish Championship Athletic Club (ICAC) supervised local competitions according to the
rules of the AAA. In all of these sporting spheres games were played according to agreed rules, there
were competitions for cups and medals and there were more spectators than players.
 He was a keen sportsman who had played rugby and cricket with enthusiasm but he resented the
snobbery of the English athletics movement (which stated that only gentlemen could compete) and the
lack of Sunday games, which prevented many working men from participating.
 The aim was to revive an aspect of traditional Irish culture by developing the sports in a modern way, i.e.
with agreed rules etc and to take the management of games into Irish hands and to allow membership to
all classes.
 By the mid-1880s Irish nationalists were not in a mood to accept English interference, even in sport.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAA
Three decisions were taken at the second meeting of the GAA, which took place in Cork 1885:
 One of the first tasks was to set out the rules for hurling and football and the proposed rules for football
were ready by January 1885 and were published in national newspapers and made available in booklet
form. This made it easier to organise clubs and competitions. Some of the rules were rather imprecise and
over the next few years they had to be refined and improved.
 It was also decided that there could only be one GAA club in each parish. This helped to impose some
unity on the Association and involved Catholic priests in the formation of clubs.
 In the early days of the GAA, there was one area of controversy; this was the issue of the ‘Ban’.
Members of non-GAA athletic clubs (the GAA was still considered an Athletics club) were not allowed
to join the GAA. This was mainly because of the rivalry between them. Archbishop Croke opposed this
ban and it was dropped in 1886.
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THE RAPID SPREAD OF THE GAA
Cusack wrote later, ‘the Association spread like a prairie fire’ and he was right. By November 1886 there
were 600 affiliated clubs. Few movements in modern Ireland have taken root so quickly. All over the country
but particularly in Munster, adjoining areas of Leinster, the midlands and the Dublin region, influential
nationalists (and in a few cases unionists) got together to organise athletics meetings or to form hurling and
football clubs. Much of the early emphasis was on athletics and hurling and football games were subsidiary.
The founding of the GAA caused something approaching a social revolution in Ireland. Many sports
meetings were held in places that had not seen such contests for 50 years and drew monster crowds. At these
meetings hurling and football games were organised where these games had survived the Famine; as a result
hurling was almost certainly saved from extinction. They used the rail network but the roads were slow and
the long working day presented other difficulties for the players, taxing their endurance and prevented
advance practice. A forgotten aspect is the early support it received from unionists & Protestants – all of
whom were to leave when the association acquired a more nationalist character in 1887.
POLITICS VERSUS SPORT - THE GAA AS A NATIONALIST ORGANISATION
For Michael Cusack the impact of the GAA was proof that it had an important role in the cultural nationalist
movement as it had provided the people with the means for asserting their identity. His vision was for a nonpolitical body and a broadly based association that would reflect rather than direct nationalist opinion but
political considerations were important from the early years. There were two aspects to the struggle between
politics and sport in the early years of the GAA – (i) the take-over by the IRB, and (ii) the Parnellite split
practically finished the Association off completely.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GAA AND THE IRB
 The foundation of the GAA - at least two of the founders of the GAA (Bracken and Wyse Power) were
members of the IRB (the IRB – Irish Republican Brotherhood was a revolutionary secret society which
sought the overthrow of British rule in Ireland by physical force; in official records they are referred to as
‘Fenians’). Did the IRB plot to set up the GAA for its own purposes? Davin was not a member and nor
was Cusack in 1884 – although he may have been one at one time.
 Infiltration - Parnell’s constitutional nationalism was in the ascendant in the 1880s and in response the
IRB adopted the policy of ‘Infiltration’. Organisations such as the GAA offered the IRB a means of
spreading its revolutionary agenda and after the defeat of the Home Rule Bill in 1886 the IRB began to
take over the GAA. They worked to recruit men who would then be represented on the Central Council.
The GAA also provided a source of fit young men who might be useful in the struggle against the British.
P N Fitzgerald and Patrick Hoctor were influential in this takeover.
 Police Scrutiny - the RIC Special branch had the task of spying on nationalist organisations that might be
planning resistance to British rule in Ireland They sent their reports back to Dublin castle. Their reports
were compiled with the help of the reports of informers and there were spies in both the GAA and the
IRB; ironically these reports are now the best sources of information about these developments in the
GAA and the IRB.
 Resignation of Cusack - Cusack was the first casualty and he resigned on the issue of his poor
administrative record and was replaced by an IRB man.
 November 1886-January 1887: IRB takeover completed. The IRB completed its takeover by ensuring
that they dominated the Central Council and by producing a new constitution, which ensured that they
controlled the rules and dominated the county organisations. The most important new rule that they
introduced was that RIC men were banned from taking part in GAA games. Davin protested and then
resigned. In 1887 Croke resigned as patron as he was disgusted at the domination of Fenians.
 Compromise - Croke and Davin with the support of many parish priests proposed the setting up of
another organisation and the IRB men were forced to compromise as 250 clubs had left the GAA. The
Catholic hierarchy and clergy had emerged as powerful critics. Davin was re-elected as president and the
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IRB reduced to a minority. However, they continued to work behind the scenes and financial problems
began to effect the GAA.
THE PARNELLITE SPLIT AND THE GAA
A split developed in the Home Rule party as a result of Parnell’s divorce scandal. The majority of the HRP
were against Parnell’s continued leadership and the Catholic Church condemned Parnell’s behaviour. The
GAA’s patrons were divided over the split; Davitt opposed Parnell and John O’Leary supported him. The
GAA, the IRB again now dominating the Central Council, came out in support of Parnell. Parnell was to
suffer one defeat after another in the last months of his life when his behaviour became startling,
unpredictable and even irresponsible. Parnell appeared to throw his constitutional principles overboard and
obtained the enthusiastic support of the GAA and the IRB. The GAA played a prominent part in the funeral
procession of Parnell as well as the funeral of an athlete Pat Nally, who had been imprisoned for treason and
died in prison. The GAA had defied the vast majority of nationalist opinion in its support for Parnell and it
suffered the consequences:
 Members left the association in vast numbers.
 Clubs went out of existence. A police record claimed that the number of clubs had fallen from over 1000
in 1888 to 220 in 1891.
 Organised competitions and tournaments lapsed.
 In whole counties the GAA simply died. At the 1891 Convention only 6 counties were represented.
THE GAA AFTER 1891
It did survive and continued to organise competitions. The IRB men remained in control but they dropped the
ban on RIC men joining in 1893 and from 1893 became non-political. Behind the scenes they might have
encouraged membership of the IRB but publicly they concentrated on sport.
 In the mid-90s they introduced new rules making football and hurling faster and more exciting.
 Finances improved and so did the numbers of spectators.
 It bought new grounds – including Croke Park.
 The number of clubs increased.
After 1900 it used the Irish language more, revived the ban on ‘foreign games’ in 1905 and the ban on RIC
men and British soldiers. It created an Irish identity on the sports field and was responsible for the restoration
of people’s pride, at a local and national level.
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