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Ger Brennan, Ciaran McKeever, Chrissy McKaigue, Ursula Jacob, Fiona McHale, Cillian O'Connor and Paul Murphy at today's launch. Ramsey Cardy/SPORTSFILE
Big In America

100 GAA players to benefit from major Irish-American business deal with GPA

Michael Madden is to help set up a leadership programme that will help players over the next three years.

A MAJOR US business man – who is a native of Tipperary – is set to join forces with the GPA for a major funding boost that will see 100 inter-county players have access to a new player leadership programme.

The GPA has been criticised in the past for courting business in America but this new initiative which is understood to involve a substantial six-figure sum investment, is a significant announcement.

Michael Madden is the chairman of Teneo Capital, a global financial consulting and private equity firm. The Jim Madden Leadership Programme was formally launched in Croke Park earlier today and is in memory of Michael’s late father Jim, who was heavily involved in local GAA in his native Portroe until his death in 2013.

The ‘bespoke, one-year blended learning Leadership course’ will be delivered by the GPA and will run initially for three years. The programme will see 25 players have access in the first year, 30 in the second and 45 in the third. The players will be drawn from Gaelic football, hurling, camogie and ladies football.

“We will look for expressions of interest initially (from players),” confirmed GPA Chief Executive Dessie Farrell. “Then there will be a vetting process in the first instance. From that we will run a development centre and do assessments in that centre over a couple of days and bring people forward. Whoever doesn’t get accepted then we will give them a plan on what they need to work on and then try to reapply.”

Former Tipperary manager Liam Sheedy and current Allstar goalkeeper Darren Gleeson both spoke passionately about the life of Jim Madden at today’s launch which was attended by members of the Portroe community and several leading GAA players.

Launch of the GPA Madden Leadership Programme Former Tipperary manager Liam Sheedy. Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE / SPORTSFILE

Launch of the GPA Madden Leadership Programme Tipperary Allstar winning goalkeeper Darren Gleeson

“I assessed this very carefully, spent a lot of time with Dessie (Farrell) and Donal Óg,” outlined Michael Madden. “I’m back in Ireland probably nine to 10 times a year so I knew exactly what is going on, I’m not removed from it, I’m at every Portroe and Tipperary hurling match.

“I’m only in America three years but I’ve lived outside Ireland for 18 years. I have an office in Dublin and New York and others in Mongolia and Myanmar, working in financial services, both in investment and financial advisory.”

Madden explained his reasoning for supporting the GPA.

“The GPA are helping players at home, I’m thankful to the GAA to have a platform like this, not just because it’s a tribute to my father but for the thousands and thousands of Jim Maddens who are out there.

“We take it for granted that these community leaders just pop up and do this job but we can’t take it for granted any more. This is only one small way of laying a formal groundwork for these young leaders to be part of their community. It’s easy when you’re involved in a village or a small parish but way harder in larger towns and communities.”

Launch of the GPA Madden Leadership Programme GAA Director-General Paraic Duffy Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE / SPORTSFILE

Farrell expressed his delight at the development.

“We had been talking for a while about wanting to establish a leadership programme and we just simply didn’t have the funds to do it. Over a number of conversations with Mike we discovered that he was interested in what we were doing in the GPA and he was also interested in doing something that would honour his own Dad. It’s a great step forward for us. They are a great family to deal with.”

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