Safeguarding
How Éire Óg keeps children and young people safe, and how to raise a concern.
If a child is in immediate danger
Call the police on 999. Then tell the club’s Children’s Officer.
Raising a concern
If you are worried about a child’s safety or welfare, or about how an adult is behaving towards a child, contact our Children’s Officer straight away. You do not need to be certain, and you will be listened to.
- Children’s Officer: Seanna Boyle, Childrensofficer.eireog.armagh@gaa.ie
- Do not post a concern, or a child’s details, in a team group or the club app’s messages. Contact the Children’s Officer privately.
- The Children’s Officer will pass the concern to the club’s Designated Liaison Person, who decides with the statutory services what needs to happen next.
Other people you can contact
- Gateway Team, Southern Health and Social Care Trust (child protection referrals): 0800 7837 745
- Regional Emergency Social Work Service (evenings, weekends and bank holidays): 0800 197 9995
- NSPCC helpline (advice for adults worried about a child): 0808 800 5000
- Police: 999 in an emergency, or 101 if it is not an emergency.
Our commitments
- Éire Óg follows the GAA’s Code of Behaviour (Underage) and child safeguarding policy at every training session, match and club event.
- Everyone working with young people completes vetting through the GAA and safeguarding training before they start.
- Children’s safety and welfare come before winning.
- Adults do not contact children directly by message or social media; underage team communication goes through parents and guardians and the team’s group.
- Photos of children are only taken and shared in line with the club’s guidance and parents’ wishes.
Children and the club app
The Éire Óg app is for adults. Children do not have their own accounts: a parent or guardian adds their child and a team manager or coach approves the request. Only the right people see children’s names, and profile photos are for adults only. Any message can be reported to the club’s administrators from its Options menu. See the Terms of Use and Privacy Notice.
Head injuries
If a player may have a head injury or concussion, they stop playing and get medical advice. They do not return until it is safe to do so.