When Donal O’Neill found himself cast in the role of midwife at the birth of the Gaelic Players Association, he little dreamt that within a decade it would not only become one of the most strident representative sporting voices in the country but would acquire formal recognition status from the GAA.

Confirmation at the weekend that a new interim agreement has been entered into between the two parties lends substance to the belief that a new chapter in the history of Irish sport is about to be scripted.

O’Neill played a leading role in the creation of the GPA and today, along with chief executive Dessie Farrell and other officers, is being lauded for his commitment and courage since the first faltering steps were taken to ensure that players’ welfare issues and other related matters were properly addressed.

And now that the GAA has agreed to work with the players’ body, Farrell is at the helm of what will be a concerted drive to launch a series of initiatives all of which are designed to improve the lot of inter-county players.

With the GAA having pledged a further €1.1m in addition to the financial package already on the table for the players’ body for 2010, Farrell is optimistic that both the GPA and GAA are set to derive enormous benefits from the agreement which is expected to be formally ratified at a Central Council meeting on Saturday week.

“The players now have an independent voice under the banner of the GAA. Obviously there have been complications which have had to be faced up to. For a long time there was suspicion and hostility, particularly in the early years.

“While there would still be some concerns in the wider GAA community, I believe that this agreement is in the best interest of all concerned,” maintains Farrell.

GAA President Christy Cooney is convinced that the new relationship between the two bodies will reap great benefits in the future.

“We are very confident that we can forge a relationship with our county players through the GPA which will be for the betterment of the GAA as a whole. We have always been committed to our amateur status and voluntary ethos which have underpinned the values at the heart of our Association.”

Farrell added: “People like Donal O’Neill, Sean Cavanagh and many others from Ulster have played huge roles in bringing us to where we are today.

“We now look forward to building on this very important first step.”