The GAA today unveiled a new three year strategic plan that aims to strike a better balance club and county fixtures among a number of other goals.

Speaking today, the GAA's President John Horan said “the GAA launched an extensive effort last year to determine our organisation-wide goals for the next three years. This Strategic Plan is the culmination of six month’s work and consultation by a Steering Group which employed various methods with many stakeholders such as our members and volunteers, as well as external parties.

"Fís Shoiléir 2021 sets out a clear vision for our future and sets the agenda for strategic actions that will have a positive impact at all levels of the Association. It is a timely commitment to our longer-term strategy for sustaining and growing the GAA.”

(For a full layout and more extensive look at the Strategic Plan you can find it here)

The plan has five goals, most notably to improve participation at both inter-county and local level. A centrally approved Talent Acadmedy Policy will be created within each county to align club, school, third level, and inter-county fixtures, as well reviewing the availability of county players to their clubs during the competitive season.

It also aims to create more playing opportunities and recreational games at a local level, as well as developing more local coaches to train these local sides and an increased focus on retaining younger age groups within the association, as there has been a drop in the figures of 13-20-year-olds participation rates.

The plan also aims to transform the development of volunteers, to advance governance, to revamp and improve the communication between the GAA and its participants and fans, and finally to grow the association. The aim for the latter of the list will be done through examining the amateur status of the games and defining what behaviours and practises are in line with a sort of an amateur nature, and finding a way to involve more members in taking part in the games through initiatives suchas the Healthy Club project.

The GAA's General Director, Tom Ryan, said, “achievement of the goals and objectives in the Strategic Plan will be one of my top priorities between now and 2021, and implementation is already underway. Robust structures have been established to assist implementation, such as the establishment of a Strategic Implementation Committee which will meet regularly to monitor the creation and implementation of operational plans set by those with lead responsibility for delivering the various objectives.”