The Potential Issues with Centres of Excellence in the GAA

Most counties now have a centralised training center for all their teams to train in.

This was a huge step forward for the GAA, as before, teams would have to beg GAA clubs for a loan of their facilities. Gym sessions would be held in one location, while pitch sessions would happen in another. This was okay, but it was far from ideal if you wanted to conduct a mixed session. The standard of the pitch could also be hit or miss; the GAA club could send you to their worst pitch, among a million other small issues, such as a lack of meeting room space, the inability to leave gear on-site, etc.

So, what happened?

County boards fundraised, hustled and secured brand-new, shiny training centers with gyms on-site. Problem solved? Well, not quite—at least not in my opinion. In my ten seasons coaching senior county teams, I have had access to a COE for four of them. In many ways, I much preferred the old setup. Below, I’ll list the potential issues with COEs and how to overcome them.

Problem 1: Autonomy

When you typically use a COE, you have to share it with many other teams. This means you need to be strict about times for gym sessions, meeting spaces, pitches, and floodlights. For example, Hawkfield in Kildare is such a great space and a hive of great GAA activity, but with teams constantly moving between the four pitches, even parking your car can become a tiny problem.

Autonomy for a team means controlling who enters and leaves the building. Are they positive? Will they leak information about who is injured or not? These are all valid concerns. The Dublin footballers, for example, have a dedicated area in DCU, which is completely reserved for them while they’re there. No one can approach this space unless they’re vetted. This may sound extreme, but I believe it’s necessary (at that level).

wide open spaces - have positives and negatives. For senior teams you want privacy.

As a management team, you should be able to do things your way. It's selfish, but it's required. Simple things like setting up the gym the way you like, putting target sheets on a notice board, and having the flexibility to change plans quickly based on weather—all of this adds up.

When I coached Offaly, we had access to a modest but brilliant GAA club called Walsh Island. I was able to set up that space in the way I thought would get the best results. In retrospect, it was perhaps better than what I had at the Faithful Fields. The Faithful Fields is a super facility, but it was difficult to secure time slots, and you had to respect the other teams coming in and out. There was also a caretaker there who was overly strict, making it a chore to get on the pitch when it rained or get the gym access you wanted. I was the head of underage S&C in the county for three years, and I wasn't given the key to the gym. Getting basic access to these places can sometimes be an issue. 

Problem 2: Too Many Cooks Can Spoil the Broth

I don’t know why, but generally, S&C coaches don’t get along with each other. I think it’s because it's one of the most insecure job positions you can have, with everyone vying for the same gigs. This has been my experience, anyway. Compare this to chefs, who regularly observe other chefs in their kitchens and learn. In S&C, there’s typically hardly any of that. I would regularly try and be cordial to the opposition S&Cs for example, but it wasn't always reciprocated. 

With a COE, you now have at least eight S&C coaches working out of the same gym, walking around at the same time, on different pitches, with different ideas. This can create chaos and little cohesion. One coach might dislike the way the gym is configured, while another might hate bands or Glute-Ham Raise machines, and so on. It just becomes a headache. County Boards have tried hiring one person to look after all the marquee teams in a county setup, but this doesn't work either because the workload is immense, and coaches/managers want to hire their people 95% of the time.

I believe that any senior inter-county team should have their own dedicated space. I think in the next ten years or so, The senior teams in most counties will move to their own dedicated space on COE land perhaps. 

Problem 3: Prying Eyes

When Jim McGuinness returned to Donegal, it was reported that they spent a fair amount of money making their training grounds completely private. If you go down to St. Clare’s in DCU and try to peek at the Dublin team’s training, you'll get a very prompt response from a security guard asking you to leave. It might sound paranoid, and on some level, it is. However, something as simple as an open training center means anyone can see who’s training, what kick-out or puck-out strategies you’re working on, the general body language of the players, and a host of other small details.

We haven’t quite reached Bielsa-levels of spying in the GAA, but we’re slowly getting there. Of the two COEs I worked in, both were wide open to the public. While it’s not a deal-breaker and only a small thing, it’s certainly not ideal.

Problem 4: Poorly Designed

I have yet to see a COE that was designed by a coach who works in the trenches. For example, in Hawkfield, a fantastic gym was added only three years ago, and it is large enough to accommodate a full county panel (designed brilliantly and a joy to work in). The Faithful Fields is excellent, but they built the gym slightly too small, and the astroturf they added is a weird shape and not big enough. The meeting rooms upstairs were great but, again, slightly too small and should have been made as a backup mobility and physio space. 

I’ve noticed issues in nearly every COE I’ve worked in. The flagship GAA center in Abbotstown, for instance, built the dressing rooms slightly too small for a full county panel. If your county is planning to build a new COE, make sure you consult with an actual coach to ensure the space is designed appropriately. Also, be sure to future-proof it with spacious rooms and tall ceilings.

Think of large simple rectangle shaped rooms that can be changed as trends do. 

A Great gym - but slightly too small for a future proofing

Problem 5: The poor ould physios

The importance of a robust, well-equipped physiotherapy setup in modern GAA environments cannot be overstated. In any county setup, it’s common to have between five to ten players managing niggles on a given night, ranging from long-term recoveries like ACL rehab to chronic hamstring issues. Yet, despite this pressing need, the design of physio spaces in Centres of Excellence (COEs) often feels like an afterthought.

Too frequently, physiotherapy beds are tucked away in gym corners, dressing rooms, or even shower blocks — spaces that lack the proper environment for effective treatment and recovery. This is far from adequate. What is truly needed is a dedicated physio room, purpose-built to support player recovery and ensure injured athletes receive the same level of attention and challenge as their teammates.

A state-of-the-art physio room should include both cardio and gym equipment, allowing injured players to maintain their fitness and push themselves just as hard as those participating in full training sessions. Beyond just functionality, the layout should foster a sense of inclusion and shared purpose. A large window adjacent to the playing pitch would allow players in rehab to stay connected with the squad, reinforcing the ethos that everyone is working hard — injured or not, but mainly what is seen is believed.

While centralised training centers represent a big step forward for the GAA, there are still several challenges that need to be addressed to maximize their effectiveness. Autonomy, cohesion among staff, privacy, and thoughtful design are key areas to consider when planning or using these facilities. We are talking about minor tweaks here, not open-heart surgery. Until these issues are worked through, the old ways—though not perfect—may sometimes offer better results for the senior teams.