Hayes Hotel, Thurles, Co Tipperary
Former President of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and current Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Mr Sean Kelly has again called on the GAA to purchase its historic birthplace, namely Hayes Hotel here in Thurles, Co Tipperary.
This call from Mr Kelly, follows the demise of this land-mark hotel, which was placed in receivership in recent weeks, with the appointment of Kieran Wallace and Padraic Monaghan of KPMG accountancy have been put in place as joint receivers.
Mr Kelly stated that he had previously raised this proposal with the Association and has now written to GAA President Liam O’Neill, Director General Páraic Duffy, and the Munster Council, urging them to investigate the possibilities of gaining ownership of this historic site.
Mr Kelly points out that as an organisation all Irish men should be rightly proud of our sporting history, and no other place, possible with the exception of Croke Park, is more central to this sporting narrative of the GAA than Hayes’ Hotel, where Michael Cusack, Maurice Davin, P.J. Ryan, John Bracken, George McCarthy, John Wise-Power and John McKay founded this great sporting Association back in 1884.
I’d be delighted if it happened.