Highland Radio Sport understands Croke Park and Ulster will be brought in for a review of matters in relation to the academy and what transpired.
The board’s handling of Karl Lacey’s resignation and the subsequent mass exit of the academy coaches has led to considerable controversy, and along with this the resignation of senior manager Paddy Carr this week has left dark clouds over the GAA in the county.
Clubs were last night informed at the Special County Committee Meeting that Croke Park and the provincial body will look into how the situation between the parties involved escalated.
The County Board released a statement this morning after last nights meeting with delegates.
It said the board had agreed a pathway forward for the Donegal GAA Academy, and hopes to lay the foundations for a progressive future of the underage structures.
The County Committee also thanked the academy and in particular, its former Head, Karl Lacey for “the outstanding progress” that it had made to date.
It also stressed that there as “no misconduct relating to Karl or academy personnel.”
In conclusion, the statement said that it was the express wish of the County Committee that Karl Lacey and the coaches would return and it is hopeful that they will reconsider their positions.
The full statement reads:
“In what has been a difficult period for CLG Dhún na nGall and the Donegal GAA Academy, and following a specially convened meeting of County Committee on Thursday March 23rd, we would like to inform our clubs and supporters that we have agreed on a pathway forward for the Donegal GAA Academy.
“We would hope that we will lay the foundations for a progressive future, for the Donegal underage development structures. As has been widely acknowledged in recent months by many in Donegal GAA circles, our academy has been one of the most innovative in terms of coaching and athletic development in Ireland.
“At this point we as a County Committee wish to thank the academy and in particular, former Head of Academy, Karl Lacey for the outstanding progress that the academy has made to date. We wish to clearly state that there is no suggestion of any misconduct relating to Karl or academy personnel.
“We also most strongly caution against and condemn any such suggestion. All finances and governance of the academy have always been the sole responsibility of the County Committee.
“We look forward to working through the recent issues with our academy personnel and building on the great work achieved until this point. We once again thank Karl Lacey for his outstanding and exemplary efforts to date, as a strong role model for all that is good in our games. We wish to state it is the express wish of our County Committee that Karl and the coaches would return and we are working hard and are hopeful that they will reconsider their positions.
“We acknowledge this has been a difficult time for all concerned. The GAA in Donegal should be a place where excellence is the standard and that we all play our part in ensuring this happens.”
