Durkan seeking reversal of Ulster GAA's cashless policy

Described as “unethical, impractical and discriminatory” the controversial decision by Ulster GAA to implement a cashless policy this season has been heavily criticised.

The cashless policy was contained in Ulster GAA’s Strategy for 2021, which outlined its goal of implementing cashless payments by 2022. 

In effect the policy means people wishing to attend GAA matches are unable to use cash to pay for entry into any grounds.  Former Ladies Gaelic footballer, Nodlaig Ní Bhrollaigh, said the contentious cashless policy had been “enforced without any consideration for people in our community who rely on cash”.

Ms Ní Bhrollaigh is the driving force behind the online petition: “Oppose Ulster GAA’s cashless policy” which is being sent to GAA Uachtarán, Ciaran McLaughlin, and four other Croke Park decision makers: Brian McAvoy, Rúnaí and Chief Executive; Brian Mallon, Head of Finance, Human Resources and Business Development; Michael McArdle, Oifigeach Caidreamh Poiblí; and Diarmuid Marsden, Head of Community Development.

The campaign has also launched a social media campaign at: GAA for All: Reverse Cashless Policy.

Speaking to Derry Now, Nodlaig Ní Bhrollaigh added: “It is a shocking indictment of a community based organisation that it failed to consider the impact of this policy on our younger fans, some of our older patrons and some of the most vulnerable. 

“Age Action and Age NI have called on the GAA to facilitate a cash option to ensure that attending games is more accessible for older patrons. The GAA cannot and should not be allowed to ignore these calls.”

Support for the reversal of Ulster GAA's cashless policy has also come from Derry All Ireland medal winner, Joe Brolly.

Irish Olympian, Paddy Barnes is also supporting the campaign.

President of Ladies Gaelic Football Association,  Donegal County Councillor, Micheál Naughton, has also called on the GAA to reverse its cashless policy.

In addition, the campaign to overturn Ulster GAA’s cashless policy has received the backing of Foyle MLA, Mark Durkan (SDLP), who said he supported its aim of ensuring access to all GAA games.

Mr Durkan and his party colleague and sports’ spokesperson, Justin McNulty MLA, an All Ireland medal winner with Armagh in 2002, have Ulster GAA’s cashless policy on the agenda for their meeting with GAA decision-makers scheduled for next week. 

Mr Durkan added: “There are a lot of people, particularly older people who still solely operate and cash. I have heard from numerous GAA members and fans across the North about how difficult they find the new system. They are now reliant on one of their children or even grandchildren in many instances to actually do the transaction for them, a situation about which they are not happy. 

“The cashless policy also  reduces people’s ability to spontaneously decide to go to a match. 

“In addition, someone might have booked a ticket the day before and on the day of the match the weather is so atrocious, or something happens family-wise, and they don’t go, so the cashless policy means they have lost their money. 

“Not all stadia are equipped for card payment, which the GAA should at least consider introducing.

“However, in some more rural areas connectivity would be an issue and could pose another problem,” said Mr Durkan. 

Derry City and Strabane District councillor, Emmet Doyle (Aontú) condemned Ulster GAA’s cashless policy as “completely discriminatory”.

Cllr Doyle is planning to raise the issue at the next meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s  Health and Communities committee.

He said: “On one hand, the GAA is relying on older people, in particular, as the volunteers and club officers to keep the organisation running but then, on the other hand, older people in particular but also for people in rural areas who don’t have great WiFi, are basically being excluded.

“I have been contacted by people, right across County Derry, not just in the town, who have gone to matches and said to the person on the turnstile, ‘Listen, you know me. I’ve been here for 40 years and you are telling me I can’t come in because I have no ticket because I can’t get a ticket’. People have been in tears.

“We have had a lot of people in Donegal raising this with us internally in Aontú as well. Genuinely, older people are very upset by it. 

“What you are actually going to find is, if the GAA does not reverse this very, very quickly, it is going to alienate not just a lot of older people who keep the clubs going but it is going to alienate their families as well because it is a family event because matches are family events. No-one is going to say to their mother or father, ‘Unless you book a ticket, you can’t go.’” said Cllr Doyle.

Aontú has also raised the cashless policy with the GAA as a party.

Cllr Doyle said: “The GAA made a decision in Dublin and did not realise that it was going to negatively affect rural communities in particular all over the country, the people who keep the organisation going.

“I am now calling on the GAA to reverse the policy and understand. There has been a lot of hurt caused.”