A Mayo GAA club has claimed they were 'spoken to like dummies from the west of Ireland' by officials in Croke Park over a charity fundraiser insurance row.

Croke Park pulled the plug on an 'All Stars' game being organised by Knockmore GAA this weekend which was aimed at raising funds for Hope House, a local addiction treatment centre, because the required insurance wasn't in place.

"We were being spoken to like dummies from the west of Ireland," organising committee member Laurita Blewitt told the Examiner.

"They didn't tell us a way around it (insurance). They just said it's not going ahead, end of.

"We're wondering what the GAA is for. We are supposed to be a community club supporting other elements in our society.

"It shows there is a big wide gulf between grassroots and Croke Park. It seems to be a different organisation. We did it last year and there was no hitch. It created goodwill and 4,000 people came from across the country."

Croke Park communications manager Alan Milton gave the Association's side of the story: "The GAA can confirm its public liability and player injury scheme did not extend to cover a proposed charity match in Knockmore this weekend.

"Despite this fixture being planned for six months the first notification received by the Association at central level was one week ago.

"The event was being organised for the benefit of a third party charity that was assuming no risk and despite assurances that other bodies were willing to provide cover for the event, evidence of same was never provided."

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