*Visit Clare.
VISIT CLARE could be emblazoned on the kit of Ennis RFC as they take to the field in the Energia All-Ireland League for the first time.
Kilmihil’s Micaela Glynn will captain what is the county’s first team to line out in the AIL, they travel to Carlow this Saturday to face Tullow RFC.
Ahead of the historic outing, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) called on Clare County Council’s communications department to coordinate with the club PRO to promote the county’s involvement.
With away games in Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Galway, Cllr Colleran Molloy appealed to the tourism section of the Council to have Visit Clare logo on the team’s kit and for banners “equivalent to those erected to support County Clare GAA teams be erected in Ennis, Kilrush and other key towns in the County”.
Acting senior executive officer in the corporate services section of the Council, John Corry said, “We remain committed to working with stakeholders to ensure this historic achievement is celebrated and supported appropriately and accordingly we can promote on social media. The Tourism Department will engage with the Club to explore the feasibility of featuring the ‘Visit Clare’ logo on the team’s kit”.
Corry acknowledged that the away games presented “a valuable opportunity to promote Clare as a tourism destination to a national audience. Clare County Council have historically only supported county teams in finals by erecting banners”.
Speaking at the September meeting of the Council, Cllr Colleran Molloy noted that fifty percent of the squad hailed from outside of Ennis in villages of Cross, Kilmihil, Kilrush, Inagh, Quin and Tulla. “It is a huge achievement to get into the Women’s AIL for the first time, I’m asking the Council to help highlight this achievement”. She predicted that the squad would “do great things” over the coming season.
Backing the proposal, Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) commented, “there is an onus on us to support ladies sport to promote them the best we can, Shannon Airport have ‘Fly Shannon’ on the Munster shorts, here is a chance for us to promote Visit Clare on the bags which travel around the country for ladies sport”.
Tapping into the promotion of the county while supporting the women’s squad was essential, Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua (FF) believed. “We’re spending massive money on tourism, this is a relatively inexpensive way of getting some promotion”. Cllr John Crowe (FG) agreed that the Council must take advantage of the “fantastic opportunity to promote the team and the county”.
Having a women’s team in the AIL is “fantastic,” stated Cllr Joe Killeen (FF), himself a former rugby player in his youth. “It is fantastic to have a team at this level, they have great role models with our national team”. Financial support could also be provided by the Council, he suggested. “We need equal opportunity and positive discrimination for women in sport, we need to promote women in sport, they are fantastic role models”.
“I love the idea of Visit Clare on the kit,” Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) remarked. Financial support for the squad is “definitely justified”. Cllr Gabriel Keating reverted from the oval ball to the GAA, “the GAA season is condensed and opening up their facilities to other sports, we’ve seen how much ladies football has progressed in Clare. We won’t be found wanting”.
Support should be provided, Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) felt, “If you can see it you can’t be it, these girls are being it and are a great example for the county”.
Responding to her colleagues, Cllr Colleran Molloy said their support was “heartening”. The Quin native outlined, “We need to keep working and ensure the ladies don’t drop their ball and stop playing sport”. She questioned who from the Council was going to engage with Ennis RFC to progress the motion or if the councillors were to make a combined donation through their General Municipal Allocation.
Director of Tourism Development, Siobhán McNulty stated that the Head of Tourism, Deirdre O’Shea would be corresponding with the club’s PRO and secretary “to start discussions”.
Clarity was sought by Cllr Guilfoyle, “if we’re putting Visit Clare on bags belonging to an AIL team, that is sponsorship and is paid for”. Mayor of Clare, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) responded, “No contract has been drawn as of yet, we are merely broaching the subject. If there is finance incurred on the Council then that is a different discussion”. Chief Executive of the Council, Gordon Daly stated, “We’ve been asked to explore what is a good idea” and advised, “If there is a budgetary impact then there is a process around it”.
