Outside of the GAA’s annual Cúl camps, Cork secretary Kevin O’Donovan has pleaded with clubs to tread carefully when organising their own camp, such as the upcoming Easter camps, or allowing a third-party to run a camp on their ground.

The secretary remarked that the shortest route to the High Court is through the presence of a bouncy castle at a GAA ground.

O’Donovan stressed that a camp cannot take place at a GAA premises in the county without the permission of Cork’s coaching and games committee. Furthermore, those organising the camp must show they have the necessary insurance, while all coaches participating in the camp must be Garda-vetted and have completed the relevant safeguarding courses. Equally imperative is ensuring the correct ratio of coaches to children.

Cork GAA children’s officer Des Cullinane cited the recent example of one club — not in Cork — which had to come up with €50,000 after a young person was hit in the eye by a sliotar during a break in an unregulated camp on their ground.

“When the insurer came down, they asked about the ratio of coaches and qualifications of the coaches. It is about €90,000 of a payout for a serious eye injury. The insurance body looked to spread the indemnity. They were willing to give €40,000. The club had to come up with €50,000,” said Cullinane.

Cork chairperson Tracey Kennedy said there is a responsibility on the executive, if they become aware of a camp where the coaches are not vetted, to report the matter to the child and family agency Tusla.

Added Kevin O’Donovan: “Please think twice about running a camp behind closed doors because the camps that did go ahead without permission had bouncy castles in them. If you want to take a road to the High Court, through a bouncy castle is the shortest route. I would doubly recommend you put a puncture in that the first minute it arrives.

“This is a final warning from us. We are doing it for the good of the children, to protect your clubs, and, ultimately, to protect Cork county committee. Because have no doubt that when the goalposts fall on that child, or if they are using the same toilet between boys and girls, or if the proper ratio of coaches was not present on the day when that boy or girl got hurt, they will be coming to your club officers and they will be coming to this committee and we will all be in it together then.

“We beg you to put the proper protocols in place. We can’t have unregulated camps going on. If it is a third-party camp, I recommend you do not let them in until they give you the requisite paperwork.