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This article was published in the Irish Examiner. Here we repoduce it in full without any further comment.

 

Brennan: Why I Flew Business Class to Oz

by Colm O’Connor

GAA PRESIDENT Nickey Brennan last night defended his decision to fly business class to the International Rules Series in Australia while Seán Boylan’s squad and management team travelled in economy.

Brennan insisted he had done so for health reasons stressing it was — and remains — GAA policy for all its officials on association trips to travel economy class.

Last week, the GAA president defended the GAA’s decision not to splash out the extra cash that would be involved in providing the players with business class seats.

“I think the fact that we won the two Tests blows that argument out of the water,” said Brennan at the time. “In the past, Ireland GAA teams going to Australia have always travelled economy class, and I don’t envisage any change in that arrangement in future years. It’s the same situation with the All Star tours – the teams always travel economy class, no matter how far away the destination is.”

However after it emerged that Brennan himself flew business class from Dublin to Sydney via Abu Dhabi, the GAA president issued a statement to The Irish Examiner yesterday outlining the reasoning for his upgrade. He stressed that the business class travel did not cost the Association any additional money as he flew with All-Ireland Hurling Championship sponsors, Etihad.

Explained Brennan: “I, and my family, were concerned for my health because of the number of flights I was taking in such a short space of time.”

He outlined his itinerary before and during the trip to Australia. “I went to Malaysia on October 9th for the Asian Gaelic Games Finals. I flew economy class from Dublin, Amsterdam, Kuala Lumpur, to Penang. I left Malaysia on October 13th and was back in Ireland on October 14th — again flying economy. The next day I had an all-day meeting of the All Star selectors and then on the Friday night I had the All Star function in Dublin. I had the Shinty internationals in Kilkenny on the Saturday the 18th and a function that night in Kilkenny.

“On Sunday, October 19th, I flew from Dublin to Abu Dhabi to Sydney with Etihad Airways.” The GAA president confirmed: “I flew business class. On arrival in Sydney I boarded a flight to Perth and flew economy class on Virgin Blue and arrived in Perth on Tuesday at 5pm, had a shower and then went to a function.”

He continued: “On the Saturday after the first test, the entire Irish party flew economy class on Qantas from Perth to Melbourne. We then spent a week in Melbourne. After the second test we went from Melbourne to Sydney. On Monday, November 3rd, I flew from Sydney to Dublin and was back in Ireland on November 4th and we came home with Etihad.

“I want to stress that the cost of all the Etihad flights was covered as part of our sponsorship arrangement with the airline.”

He said he had never planned to undertake such trips — but was forced to do so due to scheduling issues. “I had been in Malaysia and I had originally hoped that I could have travelled directly on to Australia from there. However we could not change the date of the All Star function so I had no choice but to return home for the All Stars before going back out to Australia. That would be hard on anyone’s system and there was no way that I was going to risk my health.”

Last week former Ireland rugby fitness coach Mike McGurn, who worked with Boylan’s squad prior to their departure, said he was amazed that the Irish squad didn’t travel business class on the long-haul flight.

“Travelling economy class six days before the first Test was a form of suicide. Also, six of the lads only arrived in Australia on the Tuesday before the first Test. Rugby teams, soccer teams wouldn’t do it, and I’m sure when the Aussies (International Rules team) come to Ireland, they don’t travel economy class. Because the lads would obviously be more tired after flying economy class, rather than business class, we deliberately decided in advance of the flight that they wouldn’t be pushed that hard in training in the days before the first Test.”

Brennan insisted in the wake of McGurn’s claims that it was not the policy of the GAA for officials to travel business class. And he again re-iterated that stance yesterday. “Again I want to say that it is not to the policy of the GAA to travel business class. Prior to this I had never travelled business class while I was GAA president. But I, and my family, were concerned for my health because of the number of flights I was taking in such a short space of time. I was not going to take any chances with things like deep vein thrombosis or anything like that.”

He insisted the trip undertaken by the players was done so after lengthy consultation with Boylan. “The players travelled out with Singapore Airlines and flew directly to Perth and arrived on the Monday. This was the way which Sean Boylan wanted things — that the squad could get to their destination in the most direct way.”

Added Brennan: “I don’t know who it was that travelled around the world in 80 days, but I was nearly travelling twice around the world in a week. But I used the time in business (class) to get a lot of paperwork done before meeting with Australian officials.”