'GPA bending narrative to suit themselves' – former Donegal captain Nadine Doherty

The GPA has done a lot of good work, and former Donegal captain Nadine Doherty will be the first to say she supports plenty of it.  

When the women’s game aligned with the Gaelic Players Association, it seemed like the right move. But as time has gone on, the St Eunan’s woman and former county player is finding it harder and harder to shake the feeling that the women’s game is being used more as a convenient statistic than as an equal partner. 

A new report claims that inter-county players are generating a total economic impact of €591m annually. But the GPA is calling for an increase in Government grants as it is concerned that its members' contribution to the economy comes at a significant personal expense. 

A report conducted by Indecon International Economic and Strategic Consultants (Indecon), commissioned by the GPA, shows that individual players incur an average net expense loss of €4,602 annually to participate at the inter-county level. 

But Doherty looks deeper at the report and who exactly is it affecting. 

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“If you look at the report that assesses the economic and social impact on all inter-county players, which was prepared by Indecon and submitted to the GPA, there’s nothing in it that’s specific to females,” Doherty says.  

“It mixes in all players from men’s GAA, to camogie, to ladies' football, yet the only table in the entire 60-plus page report that is gender-specific is a table that shows the expenses for inter-county male athletes in 2023.” 

That’s the heart of her frustration. The GPA has been beating the drum lately about the financial burden placed on inter-county players. And on the face of it, the numbers are stark. The report states that the vast majority of players are out of pocket from playing at the highest level. But who is actually out of pocket? 

“There’s nothing in there regarding the expenses of female athletes, females are just not mentioned,” she says. “Yet when it comes to the GPA telling people that the vast majority of inter-county players are out of pocket, they’re not zoning in on the fact that that’s because it’s the ladies that make that percentage so high.” 

It’s a fair question. If you’re going to claim that inter-county players are financially stretched, surely the report should reflect which players, exactly, are footing the bill? Because, in Doherty’s view, no male inter-county player is actually losing money. 

“I would be very surprised if there’s one male inter-county player in either hurling or football who is out money. I just don’t think one exists.” 

She points to the different realities faced by male and female players. Yes, there are grants for female players, and yes, there’s a players’ charter. But by her estimation, at least 40 percent of female inter-county footballers and camogie players are still paying to play. 

Government grants alone highlight the difference with men getting on average €1,400, while women get €1,100, something that hasn’t changed since the turn of the decade. 

That, she believes, is the real issue — one that the GPA should be addressing more directly, rather than using women’s numbers to paint a broader picture of financial hardship. 

“I just don’t get why the GPA are always chasing for more money, which is essentially for the men, yet women still don’t have an equal grant to the men.” 

And that, in a nutshell, is where the scepticism lies. The GPA, to many, still feels like an organisation that primarily represents male players. The women are in the conversation, sure, but they don’t seem to be the priority. 

“I think this comes down to the fact that a lot of people still see the GPA as an association for men, and there’s very little talk about the women — that’s an issue in itself.” 

The timing of it all raises an eyebrow for Doherty too. She doesn’t think it’s a coincidence that these concerns are being pushed hard now, just as a new government comes in. 

“I just think the GPA, at the minute, they’re kind of clutching at straws. It’s interesting that all this is being spoken of once the new government is coming in. I’d say they’ve been holding onto this for a while until they felt the time was right.” 

The GPA has been lobbying hard in recent months for an increase in state funding for inter-county players, citing rising costs such as travel, nutrition, and training expenses.  

They argue that current grants do not adequately support players given the commitment required at the elite level. While they claim to be pushing for equal funding, Doherty believes the conversation is still overwhelmingly centred on the male game. 

But is any of this on the male players? She doesn’t think so. In fact, she doubts most of them are even aware of how these things are being framed. 

“I don’t blame the male players because I don’t know how often your male day-to-day inter-county player is involved in the GPA,” the former Donegal player stated. 

“I doubt it even comes on their radar or they even think about it. The lads are probably happy with what they’re getting and are even happier if they’re getting any bit more, but the women just don’t come into it.” 

So, where does that leave things? The move towards integration is happening, but she’s realistic about how long it will take. The roadmap to 2027 is promising, but true equality in funding? That’s still a long way off. 

“I do think everything that they promised to go through by 2027 in the fight for equality will go through, but I don’t think we’ll have full equality until the female game is making enough money to attract more sponsors and get more people to games.” 

And therein lies the deeper problem. Sport is a business, and in business, money follows money. Until the women’s game generates more revenue, the financial disparity will remain. 

“I feel bad for the LGFA in a sense because I don’t know how you change that. Sport is like a business; you don’t get the money until you’re making somebody else money.” 

For now, Doherty and others will keep asking the questions. Whether the GPA is ready to answer them is another matter altogether.