*Colin Shannon and Éanna Crimmins in action during the 2024 Clare Cup final. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
THERE WAS plenty of debate, some of which resulted in strong views being expressed, at this week’s meeting of Clare GAA.
The removal of the outgoing referee’s administrator and talk of admission charges for upcoming domestic league ties led to some lively exchanges.
A few committees were ratified with chairman Kieran Keating pointing out that there will be further committees appointed at the March meeting
Strong opposition to admission charges for club leagues:
While admitting that a final decision had not been made, a suggestion from chairman Kieran Keating that a charge of €5 would apply for the domestic league games met with strong opposition with at least one delegate telling the meeting “we will talk past gate checkers”.
The issue was first raised at the January meeting by Clarecastle’s Tommy Guilfoyle. On that occasion he was told that the finance committee had yet to discuss the matter.
When Guilfoyle raised the issue at this week’s meeting, board chairman Kieran Keating said a fee of €5 for adults with under 16’s free was likely. “We want to invest in our facilities and we are one of only a few counties that does not charge for league games”.
Expressing surprise at this Broadford’s Danny Chaplin said “so you expect the volunteer that cuts the field during the week to come along and pay to get into see his own team playing on that field”.
Anthony O’Halloran from St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield said “that’s not acceptable”.
“It’s for the management committee to decide, we don’t decide that here”, the board chairman replied adding that he expected the charge to be for Divisions 1, 2 and 3.
“This is absolutely outrageous”, commented Clonlara delegate Flan Mullane. “Clare GAA was never in a better position financially. We backed ye when ye came to our clubs selling tickets for the Win a House. We will not pay and we will walk past those at the gates”, he said.
“Ye will need two gate checkers at the gate and that’s €100 straight away. Ye won’t collect that at most games”, Anthony O’Halloran told the meeting.
Kilmurry Ibrickane’s John Brew said “I don’t see an issue with charging for semi-finals and finals. The reality is that people to go the local field to see their local team. The won’t go if this happens”.
Wolfe Tones delegate Joe Kelly was another to oppose the suggestion saying that this was the view of his club.
Former treasurer Bernard Keane, now the board’s Munster council representative, also spoke against the suggestion and said he will vote against any such move.
A proposal from Clarecastle’s Tommy Guilfoyle seconded by Ruan’s Michael O’Regan that there will be no charge wasn’t accepted by the chairman who repeated that “it’s a matter for the management committee to decide. We will discuss it and come back at the March meeting”.
Clare Cup groupings:
Sixteen teams will compete for the WillWeGo.com Clare cup senior hurling league in 2025. They have been divided into two groups of eight and the draw to determine the make-up of each group was done at this week’s February meeting of Clare GAA and resulted as follows
Group A: St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield, Sixmilebridge, Crusheen, Broadford, Inagh/Kilnamona, Clarecastle, Feakle, Cratloe;
Group B: Wolfe Tones, Clonlara, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Scariff, Kilmaley, Corofin, Clooney/Quin, O’Callaghans Mills.
CCC committee appointed:
There are three changes to the CCC committee for 2025. Rory Hickey (referee administrator), Martin Hehir (Clondegad) and Aidan Bohannon (St Josephs) replace Seanie McMahon, Michael Maher and Seamus Hayes.
The full committee comprises Kieran Keating (chairman) Deirdre Murphy (Head of Operations), Deirdre Chaplin (Fixtures secretary), Tom Duggan (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), Ann Marie Moran (Corofin), Eoin Brennan (Clarecastle), Martin Hehir (Clondegad), Rory McGann (Newmarket-on-Fergus), Gavin Moroney (Bodyke), Aidan Bohannon (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield) and Rory Hickey (Éire Óg), referee administrator)
The committee was appointed on the proposal of Gabriel Keating Naomh Eoin seconded by the board’s children’s officer, Joan Crotty.
Coaching and Games:
The 2025 coaching and games committee will comprise fifteen members and will be chaired by Neil O’Brien with Micheál Duffy as secretary.
The other members are GDA’s Peter Casey and David Thornton, Jamesie O’Connor (St. Flannans), Paul Reidy (Spanish Point) representing the secondary schools (Paul will also act as the Coiste na nÓg football representative), Declan Moroney (Tulla), Coiste na nÓg hurling, M.J.Malone (National schools) Donal Madden, Ger Keane, Michael Griffin, Paul Hogan (Urban Development), Orla Considine (Handball), Cormac Heffernan (Camogie) with a representative from ladies football to be added.
Corporate Trustee:
Munster Council official, John Brennan addressed Tuesday’s board meeting on the issue of Corporate Trustees.
He outlined details of the current system where clubs have three local trustees with the County and Provincial secretaries. Two former Munster GAA secretaries Simon Moroney and Donie Nealon have recently submitted letters of resignation.
Clubs now have two options, go fully Corporate Trustee or retain local trustees with the county and province covered by Corporate.
Clubs who decide to transfer to GAA Corporate are entitled to a grant of €1,000 from Central Council and €700 from Munster Council. Leaflets outlining details of both options were distributed to the clubs.
Stewards wanted:
John Brennan on behalf of Munster Council and Kieran Keating for Clare GAA both issued appeals for match day stewards when addressing this week’s February board meeting.
According to Brennan “when working as a steward in Cusack Park, stewards will work on a voluntary basis. Their duties mainly consist of directional work in the stands and maintaining field gates at pitch side. When working on a voluntary basis stewards will be positioned internally within the grounds where they will safely guide our patrons along with having a sight of the game unfolding”.
Mr. Brennan went on to add “if the partnership is satisfactory, stewards will be offered the opportunity to work at other games within the province where the county team is competing in the Munster championship”.
To qualify for stewarding duties people must be over 18 years of age and Garda vetted. Training will be provided in advance.
Appealing to clubs to “get active now”, Clare chairman Kieran Keating informed the meeting that “7,000 tickets are already gone for season ticket holders for the Clare v Cork championship game. We will probably only get less that 5,000 for distribution”, he said adding that the capacity of Cusack Park is 20,100.
Board meetings:
County board meetings for 2025 will take place on the second Tuesday of each month unless there is a particular reason to change. The March meeting will take place on the first Tuesday (4th) so that re-grading and isolated player applications can be ratified in time for the opening league games of the season which are scheduled for March 8/9.
500 ‘isolated players’ ratified:
Tuesday’s meeting ratified 500 isolated player requests, mainly juvenile as decided by the Coiste na nÓg committees. The list of names of those involved were e-mailed to the clubs.
Both committees informed Tuesday’s meeting that at underage level where there are knock out games there will be two periods of extra time at 10 minutes each in the event of a draw. Should the teams still be level, there will then be two periods of five minutes extra time.
If the teams are still level, hurling games will then be decided by the next score while football games will then go to a replay.
Competition regulations for both committees were sent to clubs last weekend.
New amalgamation:
Bodyke and Broadford will be amalgamating for underage hurling competition for 2025. Coiste na nÓg hurling secretary Pat Gavin informed the meeting that an application for this partnership had been received by the board.
Football blitz:
An application from Clarecastle GAA to run a four team football blitz for teams from division 8 was before the meeting.
St. Breckans, Cooraclare, Wolfe Tones and Clarecastle are the teams involved. Head of operations Deirdre Murphy told the delegates that the application will go to the CCC.
Circulating minutes:
Clarecastle delegate Tommy Guilfoyle raised the question of when minutes of board meetings are circulated to clubs. Noting that, currently, “these are sent to club too close to the next board meeting which doesn’t allow for discussion by club executives so that they can direct their delegate on any issue they want raised”.
Head of Operations Deirdre Murphy said “one of our New Year resolutions is to have these distributed within a fortnight of the meeting taking place.
Fixtures by February 22nd:
Replying to a query from Liscannor delegate Brian Considine as to when detailed fixtures for the leagues will be available, fixtures secretary Deirdre Chaplin said they plan to have the fixtures with the clubs by February 22. The CCC will be meeting this Thursday.
Scór:
Senior Scor in Clare this year will take place on March 1st while the quiz competition will be on March 3 at Woodstock hotel. Entries at to be submitted to Scór secretary Anne Hayes by February 18, Ruan delegate Michael O’Regan informed the meeting on behalf of Irish officer Joe Garry who was unavoidably absent from this week’s meeting,
Munster championship launch:
The 2025 Munster senior hurling and football championships will be launched at a Kerry venue on Tuesday March 25 at 4p.m. Each County is to have their manager and two players in attendance, Bernard Keane informed this week’s meeting.
Munster President:
Ennistymon clubman John Fawl is the new President of Munster GAA. Informing Tuesday’s meeting of the appointment, Bernard Keane said “it was Clare’s turn and there were two candidates and the management committee decided to support John Fawl. It’s an honorary position and it’s for a three year term”, he said.
Parteen/Meelick v Cratloe:
Parteen/Meelick delegate Kieran O’Halloran asked if the board had made a decision in relation to his club’s concern that players from Parteen/Meelick were playing with Cratloe. “We raised this last year and we were told it would be resolved. The under 18 is starting on Sunday and we haven’t been informed of any decision”.
“Correspondence has gone to your club explaining that no decision could be made until the CCC committee was ratified tonight. The CCC will be meeting on Thursday night. It’s a complicated issue”, replied Deirdre Murphy.
Kieran Keating then proposed that the meeting give permission to the CCC to deal with the matter.
“This was done last year,” replied O’Halloran when seconding the proposal.
