A rainbow stretches over Cusack Park. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
NAMING RIGHTS FOR CUSACK PARK, the development of the Cloister Car Park and securing sponsors for club championships have all been pinpointed as targeted sources of revenue for Clare GAA next year.
Addressing her first County Convention since becoming Clare GAA Head of Operations in October, Deirdre Murphy detailed that the capacity to generate recurring revenue must be increased.
She stated, “it has been well documented in recent weeks the amounts currently being spent by County Boards particularly in relation to senior intercounty teams. Neighbouring counties with similar challenges to Clare regarding population and location have demonstrated that competing at the top level requires a level of expenditure that is well above what is the norm in Clare. It is incumbent on us to ensure that our teams and mentors want for nothing in terms of their ability to prepare in a high-performance environment equivalent to our rivals”.
Sponsorship of club championships, naming rights for Cusack Park and the development of the Cloister Car Park as a revenue stream “are all items that we will seek to address in 2023,” the Clooney woman stated. Sponsorship revenue was labelled “a vital component in meeting our commitments on an annual basis” and she praised the financial support, interest in gaelic games and desire for success on the field shown by Pat O’Donnell and his family.
A ”critical role” in providing financial support to county teams exists thanks to Club Clare and the Clare Football Supporters Club, she said. “It is abundantly clear that counties tasting All-Ireland success on a regular basis owe much of their success to the excellence of their supporters’ clubs. What this will look like into the future is something that will take some working out”. Clare GAA’s Strategic Plan calls for a unified body and this remains “the medium-term goal,” Murphy confirmed.
Establishing processes for the day to day running of Clare GAA has been the initial focus for the former Clare camogie captain since taking on the role. This has included scheduling gym and pitch training slots for teams in both codes from U17 to senior, ascertaining parameters on logistics, catering, equipment, kit vans and their contents. Budgets for county teams have been drafted for next year along with internal processes for processing and approval of payments within Clare GAA.
Existing grass management practices, maintenance contracts, available equipment, workforce plus current issues in this sector have been examined. Negotiations on the contract for official gear and leisurewear suppliers have been finalised.
An energy audit has been commissioned for Clareabbey plus a stock-take of storage items in the administrative headquarters. “Appropriate maintenance schedules for fire alarms, machinery, heating, plumbing, medical aids, IT, electronics and communication technologies in all our facilities and administrative headquarters Áras Mhíchíl Cíosóg in Clareabbey are all current expenditures that will need to become the norm within our annual budget. These all involve considerable extra costs with little to show for them in an outward sense but the potential cost of not having these systems in place is unthinkable”.
Meetings have also been held regarding the future of Ballyline, fundraising projects, commercial opportunities at home and abroad plus coaching restructuring.
Expenditure on pitch and facilities maintenance “has been kept artificially low due to the herculean efforts of individuals such as Michael Maher and Mick Dunne. However, the volume of work and level of coordination involved is unsustainable and the appointment of a full-time facilities manager is an immediate priority in early 2023. Additionally there is a requirement to purchase new machinery and repair or trade other items that are vital to the upkeep of our grounds”.
Munster has a “significantly less” proportion of full-time coaching and games staff compared other provincial counterparts, most notably Leinster. “The new national model for accessing coaching and games funding will go some way to address that with two new full time coaching and games positions to be allocated and part-funded under this scheme which focuses on four year planning cycles,” Deirdre said.
Short-term projects for Clare GAA are estimated to cost €3m and include the development of an all-weather pitch in Caherlohan, remediation of pitches one and two, enlarging the gym and revamping facilities in Clareabbey “from both a playing and administrative/working perspective environment perspective”.
Revision of timelines from the Clare GAA Strategic Plan will also need to be implemented, Deirdre believed so that it “remains a realistic and high priority rather than risk the important work to go undone”.
Concluding her address, Deirdre paid tribute to her fellow officers, Gerry Lynch, John O’Sullivan, staff in Clareabbey and those involved with county teams in all capacities. “Player, mentor, supporter, administrator, footballer, hurler, there are no sides, we are all of Clare. We need to work together in the most unified fashion, delighted for each other in victory and standing behind each other in defeat. That is what gives strength and drives ambition”.
