The Ulster Council of the GAA has hit out at a column in the Irish Independent earlier this week which detailed trenchant opposition in the province to several initiatives in recent years. The piece, by the Independent Gaelic Games writer Martin Breheny, pondered the questions of Ulster's intransigence to the International Rules series, the Players' Grant Scheme and the opening of Croke Park to soccer and rugby. But the Ulster Council has responded in a strongly-worded statement published in the newspaper on Saturday morning. The statement, undersigned by Ulster Council chairman Tom Daly and secretary Danny Murphy, read: "In an article published in the Irish Independent aspersions were cast as to the attitude here to GAA policy nationally. The Ulster Council of the GAA absolutely refutes the conclusion drawn. "Once again the old "Ulster says No" analogy was used. All of this was predicated on the discussion of a motion from Tyrone in relation to the International Rules series which was properly before last Saturday's Ulster Convention, openly debated and democratically decided upon by a substantial majority. It is now a matter for Congress to consider and decide on that matter if the motion is included on the Clár. "On the broader matter of Ulster GAA and national policy the aspersions cast could not be further from the truth. The most comprehensive statement of national GAA policy in recent decades is the GAA Strategic Vision and Action Plan 2009-2015. "Ulster GAA were deeply involved in the preparation of this strategy. At last Saturday's Ulster Convention, Ulster GAA President Tom Daly commented: "At national level one of the most important developments for many years was the publication of the GAA Strategic Vision and Action Plan 2009-2015. The strategic planning process, which was embarked on in this province many years ago, and which has been extended with our support to our counties, has paid dividends and will pay dividends well into the future in terms of the development of the GAA in the Ulster. "We should be positive and enthusiastic about the strategic vision set out in our national plan and pay tribute to the leadership of the GAA on its production. The third Ulster Council Strategic Plan, which will be launched next month, embraces within it all of the targets for the province set out in the national plan. With the traditional enthusiasm and dynamism of the GAA in Ulster many of the targets and objectives set will be achieved well before the target dates set out at national level. "From an Ulster perspective, an important commitment in the GAA National Strategy is that 'the Association will move from its current non-sectarian policy to an anti-sectarian policy'. "During 2009 Ulster GAA should, within its own structures, open an internal discussion as to what this would mean for our Association here in practical terms. With the support of this Council we should explore what support, advice and guidance our units at club, county and provincial level would require in order to move towards realising this aspiration, which has at its core the extensive nature of what "community" actually means and the capacity of the GAA to be relevant to society everywhere. "The Ulster Council of the GAA has spent the past several months preparing its third Provincial Strategy. That strategy sets out an ambitious set of objectives in the GAA in Ulster; it embraces all of the provincial targets set out in the national plan and it includes an updated strategy for the development of hurling in the province The strategy will be launched in Belfast next week. The Irish Independent are welcome to attend and will then recognise how much in error they are in attempting to portray the GAA in Ulster in a negative light. Hopefully it will also see that newspaper dump the tired old cliche "Ulster says No" when they come to recognise that the GAA in Ulster, which comprises over one-third of the current national membership of the Association, and in fact says "yes" to a myriad of progressive development initiatives." Tweet

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