The GAA/GPA All-Stars sponsored by Opel are delighted to announce Stephen O’Neill (Tyrone) and Lester Ryan (Kilkenny) as the Players of the League in football and hurling respectively, marking their outstanding performances throughout the spring campaigns. Both selections, chosen by the inter-county playing body, reflect the consistently high standards set by both counties.

The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and Gaelic Players Association (GPA) are delighted to announce the launch of GaelicBoots.com, a new online service offering a wide range of children’s, men’s and women’s football boots and sports footwear to members and supporters.

As the GAA/GPA Football All-Stars touch down in New York today (Wed), the Gaelic Players Association is preparing to deliver an important message to a new audience for the first time.

Top GAA officials in Ireland have expressed major surprise after Dessie Farrell, head of the player’s representative group, revealed that many players have gambling addictions.

Gambling is a major problem among GAA players say Gaelic Players Association
 
Football and Hurling players begin to come forward seeking professional help for their gambling and alcohol addictions
 
DARA KELLY
 
More and more Gaelic games players are coming to the Gaelic Players Association seeking professional help with gambling problems, according to Dessie Farrell.
 
The Association’s boss, Farrell, said the addiction is “like a steam train coming down the tracks.”
 
In the past year, three inter-county players have availed of the GPA’s services. Farrell says more are now “coming out of the woodwork.”
 
“In the last six months, this whole issue of gambling has taken us by surprise,” said Farrell.
 
"It's that severe and that widespread. But we're starting to ask more questions about it now. Gambling is so accessible. You can have fellas on a coach going to a Championship game and they're on the iPhone, making bets. It's become a big, big problem. We're trying to get people who are dealing with these mental health/addiction issues back on their feet and give them a plan.
 
"But we're finding that a lot of players are on this merry-go-round, just ghosting through their lives. They mightn't necessarily be the extreme cases where there is depression or alcohol abuse, but a lot of them are on this carousel and don't know what it is they want to do or where they want to go. There's this chaos in their heads and it's camouflaged by their inter-county career."
 
Speaking to the Irish Independent, he explained that now more GPA members are seeking help for their problems.
 
He said, “The extreme level is where players have to engage with our counselling service.
 
“We have a network of clinical psychologists around the country, which our players can access free.
 
"Some very extreme cases might require hospitalization or access to patient treatment clinics. In the last year, we've put three players into treatment centers for gambling addiction. Well, one was gambling/alcohol.
 
"But they're all coming out of the woodwork now with serious problems and the issues that stem from gambling, like significant debt and the upset in the home. There have been a lot of cases of that.
 
"This is going to hit us like a steam train coming down the tracks, that's how serious it is. We're actually talking to our counselors now to see what we can do about putting together an education programme around this."

Election of Officers

The 2012 All-Ireland champions Donegal lead the way with eight awards on this year’s GAA GPA All-Stars awards, sponsored by Opel.

The Gaelic Players Association (GPA) is to host its first ever New York dinner gala on Thursday, 15th November 2012 at which the Association will inaugurate the Ireland - US Gaelic Heritage Awards. The first recipient of the award will be Donald R. Keough, Chairman of the Board of Allen and Company Inc. and former President of The Coca-Cola Company.

The issue of depression in sport was catapulted to front page news worldwide following the death of Wales soccer manager Gary Speed who committed suicide last week.

THE GAA will arrive in the US in force today (Wed) as the 2011 GAA GPA Hurling All-Stars touch down in San Francisco.

PHOTOS - Opel GAA GPA All-Stars awards 2011 slideshow

PHOTOS - Opel GAA GPA All-Stars awards 2011 slideshow

The 2010 Opel GPA Players of the Year have been announced in the football and hurling categories.

The President of the Gaelic Athletic Association, Christy Cooney, formally recognized the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) at the GAA’s 2010 annual congress in Newcastle, County Down.

There was a strong turnout of Gaelic Players' Association members at a meeting with politicians on Wednesday in Dublin.