‘Integration key for future of GAA’ – Geraldine Giles
Westmeath Examiner Community and Sports Awards
The latest inductee into Westmeath Examiner’s Hall Of Fame, Geraldine Giles, believes integration is crucial for the GAA in order to build on the foundations that have been put in place.
“It’s incumbent on us, even in today’s climate, to make that happen. I know there’s been a lot of talk in the media and everything about integration. We, as the administrators, have to make that happen because the young kids are important. They want to just play the games.
“They don’t care that we’re up here as administrators or anything else. They just want to play the game,” she said.
Introducing Geraldine Giles as the latest Hall Of Fame recipient, Westmeath Examiner’s sports editor, Damien Maher noted the challenge facing the GAA on the issue of integration and said the association is on a journey that will take some time.
“It is a challenging time for the organisation, but there is a spirit and an enthusiasm to succeed and too many talented people for progress to be stymied. A journey continues,” he remarked.
Recalling Geraldine Giles’ immense contribution to Ladies Gaelic football, he said she is a very worthy winner of this year’s Hall Of Fame Award. He highlighted her outstanding career as an administrator that took her to the highest office, Ladies GAA President, which she held for two terms, a total of six years.
“For a lifetime of playing, administration, leadership and service to ladies football, Geraldine Giles is a deserving recipient of this year’s Westmeath Examiner Hall of Fame Award,” he said.
Invited initially to address the gathering, Geraldine was advised that there was “no pressure”. She saw the funny side of it, remarking: “There’s a few of my former teammates down there who are just saying, ‘take the batteries out quickly’. Because they travelled the country with me many times and they saw me just heading off in certain directions.”
Geraldine Giles said she was taken aback at the award.
“It’s a huge honour, first and foremost, to be nominated. Actually, I thought it was a joke when Mary (McGuigan, Event Coordinator) rang me a fortnight ago. But none of this - and any of us that are volunteers in Gaelic Games will tell you - would be possible but for the players and the people we have behind us,” she said.
The current Westmeath LGFA chairperson said she will continue to work, because she loves the sport. “The day that I stop loving the sport is probably the day I’ll walk away, but I’d hope somebody will take the chair before that,” she said.
Geraldine paid tribute to all who have worked so diligently for ladies football during her years involved.
“Over those 42 years, I think it is now, since our club was started in Coralstown/Kinnegad, there are many, many people (who made it possible). Not just our family, first and foremost, because of the love of the games, but all of the people that make it possible.
All of the coaches that go out every single day to coach in the clubs, in the schools, in the communities, in the colleges as well. And that’s where we get our love of the Games. But it comes from just seeing, even today, after all these years, seeing the young people that go down to the pitch.
Geraldine paid tribute to all clubs in the county for the progress they have made. Her hope is that Westmeath ladies can emulate their success of recent years and gain greater recognition in the future.
“It’s a huge credit to all of the communities and certainly all of the communities across Westmeath for the facilities that we have today and for the work they put in. My ambition would be to see - there’s a couple of young ladies down there that have won a couple of Leinster titles - the Westmeath ladies up here next year getting the Team of the Year award,” she added.