*Clare supporters entering Cusack Park. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
GAA CLUBS in Clare have questioned the County Board on the system used to allocate championship tickets with many members across the county left disappointed.
The system used by Clare GAA to determine the number of tickets each club got for Sunday week’s eagerly awaited Munster senior hurling championship first round meeting of Clare and Cork, a repeat of last year’s thrilling All-Ireland final, led to the longest discussion at what was a relatively short April county board meeting at Clareabbey on Wednesday night.
Raising the issue, Killanena’s Kieran Macnamara asked why his club got 63 tickets “and a neighbouring club of similar size got 98. What system was used to determine the allocation for clubs,” he asked.
Chairman of Clare GAA, Kieran Keating told delegates, “Deirdre (Murphy) sent an update to clubs today to give the breakdown of what we got. We got about 6,000 and the bulk of those, over 5,000, went to directly to the clubs and the remainder went mainly to players, players families, coaches, managers and so on and so on”.
He continued, “It’s based on a points system, depending on how many teams a club has, in that code first of all, underage hurling and football and taking account of how many players a club has on the Clare senior panel. Some clubs get more than others if they have more on the panel as we want to look after he clubs who have players on panels”.
Repeating his question on how there was such a difference between Killanena’s allocation and that of a neighbouring club, Macnamara went on to ask how the insurance fee charged to the clubs was calculated.
Head of Operations Deirdre Murphy said, “for the last two years we have done what was done previously in relation to insurance. It is something we need to reassess because clubs have a lot of work done on their facilities. We need to get that professionally done. It’s possible that premiums will change based on that assessment. Surveys have been done on a national basis and we need to take national guidance on that. We went on the basis of the same for the last two years. In relation to property Wolfe Tones and Éire Óg because they have licences for bars, would be paying significantly more. It isn’t abundantly clear what the points system was”.
Keating commented, “The levy for Cusack Park hasn’t changed in the last ten or eleven years. We have said we are going to review that but we haven’t done it yet. We will get it done during this financial year”.
On ticket distribution, Murphy said, “it isn’t realistic to give Kilkee/Bealaha the same number of tickets as Sixmilebridge but what we have done is we have given every club two stand tickets because there are people that will need seated tickets”.
Returning to the ticket allocation the Head of Operations asked the Killanena delegate what club he was referring to, he replied Feakle “whom we are amalgamated with at underage”.
“They have twice the amount of county players that ye have,” the Head of Operations responded to which Macnamara advised, “three versus two”. Feakle’s county panelists are Eibhear Quilligan, Adam Hogan and Conn Smyth whereas Keith Smyth and Ian Macnamara are Killanena’s squad members.
Keating pointed out, “They are a senior club and ye are intermediate and there is a weight in that. Adult senior teams is worth more that adult intermediate”.
Corofin’s Fergal Neylon said “would it not be wiser to share who has what points” to which the Head of Operations replied, “We don’t have time to deal with a million questions We can share the spread sheet if ye like and if year have a better way of doing it I am all ears”.
Ballyea secretary Fiona Whelan questioned, “why is there a difference from last year. Last year we got two stand and four sideline. This year we got two stand and no sideline. Our membership in Ballyea went up significantly this year after the success last year. We are going back now an saying we don’t have tickets. We have four elderly people that we normally look after”.
In response, Murphy stated, “We had a capacity of 18,500 last year. Our capacity this year is over 20,000 but we got less tickets this year, less seated tickets as well, less of everything. There is no North Stand ticket for any club because the whole of the North Stand is taken up with season tickets holders. Last year Clare had 1600 season ticket holders. This year Clare has used its full allocation as has Cork so that wipes out the whole of the North terrace and that wipes out the number of tickets to us. We have given in total every single terrace ticket we have to clubs. We can’t give clubs what we don’t have. There is less of everything despite the capacity is higher”.
She continued, “our players and management requests are in now and we are unable to facilitate all requests. We are telling players, management, officers, coaches that they are getting two tickets and that’s it. Most of them would look for something for their children and for most of the away games we would be able to facilitate that. Everybody is not happy. I can’t explain it in any greater detail”.
Murphy advised that Clare GAA received 850 stand tickets, 100 of which went to clubs, Cork GAA received 850 with the remainder to be distributed by Munster GAA for sponsors, participating camogie teams in the double header, primary games and provincial officers. “If anything comes at the eleventh hour we will send links but I wouldn’t be hopeful. There are about 400 codes that haven’t been used and they will be taken back in the morning”.
Fixtures secretary Deirdre Chaplin told the meeting, “To get a season ticket you have to attend 70% of league games”.
Keating stressed that tickets must be scanned on time. “The capacity of Cusack Park now is 20,800 the chairman told the meeting. If it’s a wet day everybody wants to be under cover and it gets packed there. We will have closer to 21,000 at the game”.
Murphy remarked, “we would encourage everybody that cannot get a ticket to come and support our footballers against Tipperary on the previous day” while Chaplin flagged, “we are still looking for stewards for the hurling game”.
Corporate Trustees:
Munster Council delegates Bernard Keane and John Callinan reminded delegates that clubs wishing to take up the Association’s ‘Corporate trustees’ scheme should do so as soon as possible.
Board chairman Kieran Keating informed the meeting that Clare GAA had decided to take up the scheme for all of their properties. This was ratified on the proposition of Bernard Keane and seconded by Robert Frost.
Club loans:
Letters from Feakle and St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield GAA clubs were read to the meeting informing delegates of borrowings by the three to fund further developments at their clubs.
Feakle are building a new clubhouse while Doora/Barefield have agreed to buy additional land which adjoins their current property at Gurteen.
Another team for Tubber:
Tubber GAA were given permission to have an additional team this year. The club will be allowed to get a up to twenty players re-graded to facilitate this and will compete in the junior C championship.
Proposing this will be allowed Andrew Monahan told the meeting that most of the players are aged 40 and over and want to continue their involvement with the club.
Coaching and Games:
The make-up of the coaching and games committee for 2025 has been completed with the addition of David O’Brien to represent the Clare ladies football board.
Off to Croke Park:
Coaching and Games officer Neil O’Brien informed the meeting that hurling clubs Sixmillebridge, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Éire Óg, Scariff/Ogonnellloe and Smith O’Briens have been chosen to represent the county at Croke Park on July 28. They have until April 16 to confirm if they will attend.
In football Cooraclare, Western Gaels, Doonbeg and Clareastle were the clubs chosen and they must also reply by April 16 for attendance at the event.
Scór na bPáistí:
April 18th is the closing date for entry to this year’s Scór na bPáistí competition, Irish officer Joe Garry told the meeting. Dates for the competition will be set when entries have been received.
Handball winners:
Handball delegate Mike Kelly congratulated the recent handball league winners and he also listed the winning Clare pairings in the All-Ireland juvenile championships.
Demographic officer:
Former Clare hurling captain Pat O’Connor is the new demographic officer. A member of the All-Ireland winning team in 2013, his appointment was ratified at this week’s county board meeting.
Transfers:
Gearoid and Sean MacDonacha’s transfer from O’Callaghans Mills to Clooney/Quin was ratified at this week’s meeting.
Informing the meeting that he request had come after the March 31 deadline, chairman Kieran Keating said the permission of the meeting was required to deal with this.
The meeting unanimously supported the application.
Coaching and Games officer Neil O’Brien, a member of the Mills club told the meeting that “contrary to an email, there is no issue whatsoever with this application. There is no objection from the Mills club. The family involved have given tremendous service to the club. They moved to live in Quin at the beginning of the year”.
