Footballers and hurlers at one of Ireland's best-known GAA clubs have been banned from playing because of their refusal to subscribe to the club's new mandatory weekly lotto.
The players from St Vincent's GAA Club in Dublin's Marino were refused access to the club pitch on Sunday by club officials despite the fact their opposing team, Innisfail from Balgriffin, in north Dublin, was waiting for them on the playing field.
The St Vincent's team members were told they would not be allowed to play again until they joined the club lotto scheme, which costs €156 per year.
Some six players in the Adult 8 team had not paid their annual fee of €251, which includes their lotto fee, GAA injury scheme payment and club subscriptions. The players are willing to pay their subscriptions and injury scheme fees but object to mandatory participation in the lotto.
One team member, Mr Jarlath Walsh, said the incident was embarrassing and had provoked anger among the team and coaching staff. He said the lotto had been run in the club for 10 years but had always been optional. It was questionable whether mandatory gambling had any place in a family-based club.
"A lot of people would have no problem paying some extra money towards the club but introducing compulsory gambling is a completely different issue. The team won the league in the last two years, the cup last year and was promoted in the league two years running. Some people involved in the team have been helping out in the club for 40 years. This is a disgraceful way to treat them and the players."
The club's chairman, Mr Brendan McGrath, said the lotto had become mandatory in January after a motion was passed at the club a.g.m. last October. If players objected to the change they should have attended the meeting and voiced their concerns.
"This is an alternative to the club having to constantly organise different fund-raising events, which people get sick of after a while . . . because some players had not paid they were technically no longer members of the club and would not be covered for insurance if they were injured during a match."
Mr McGrath added that any player who felt uncomfortable with taking part in the lotto scheme could simply pay the annual fee and not participate in the lotto. A GAA spokesman said because the scheme was passed at an a.g.m., it was an internal club matter.
