*The absence of Asst Treasurer Sean Chambers from the finance committee was criticised by delegates. Photograph: Natasha Barton
OFFICERS omitted from sub-committees of Clare GAA was the cause of debate at its March meeting held on Tuesday night.
The removal of AOB (any other business) from the agenda for the March meeting of Clare GAA led to a lively exchange at this week’s board meeting as did the make-up of the finance committee for the year ahead. The setting up of a PR and marketing committee to the exclusion of the outgoing PR committee was also the subject of some debate
Other items discussed included the ratification of a large number of re-gradings, the granting of permission to almost 200 hundred ‘isolated players’ and plans for the upgrading of GAA headquarters at Clareabbey
AOB is back on the agenda:
Opening the debate on why AOB was removed from the agenda for this meeting. Cooraclare’s P.J. McGuane told the meeting he has been involved for over 70 years and had to deal with a lot of issues and debates at meetings. “If ye can’t handle that at the top table ye should not be administrators”, he told the officers.
Before the meeting concluded and after the Chairman had allowed discussion on a few items raised under any other business McGuane told the Chairman he had “negotiated AOB quite well”.
Finance committee:
The omission of assistant board treasurer Sean Chambers from the new finance committee led to a number of questions.
Ruan’s Michael O’Regan enquired if Chambers has been asked to serve on the committee.
Responding chairman Kieran Keating said there are six members on the committee including Head of Operations Deirdre Murphy whom he said was a non-voting member. This, he said, complied with the byelaw which says the committee should have five people.
Kildysart’s John Meade said it was “unusual to have a person on the committee who was defeated in a contest for the assistant treasurer’s post last year”.
“We are looking to put people with best skills into committees. We are happy with the people we have put into the committee”, the chairman said before adding “that person has proved her record for raising finance with Club Clare”.
“It would appear that you have to be an accountant now to do anything in Clare GAA. All this talk about skillset, I have been involved for seventy years and I have survived. There must be no accountant in West Clare. Look around this room tonight. Am I the only one from West Clare,” Cooraclare’s PJ McGuane asked.
Replying chairman Keating said “John McInerney and Dinny Cullinan are from Ennistymon and you know where I am from”.
Sixmilebridge delegate P.J Fitzpatrick asked if they had considered appointing Robert Frost to the finance committee. “He was a great help to us in Sixmilebridge”, he said
Head of Operations Deirdre Murphy replied, “Robert is on the management committee and he is very good to give us advice”.
The finance committee named by the chairman comprises Brian Fitzpatrick (treasurer), Kieran Keating (chairman), Dinny Cullinan (Ennistymon), John McInerney (Ennistymon), Cathal Kilmartin (Newmarket-on-Fergus), Caroline O’Connor (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield) and Deirdre Murphy (Head of Operations).
Marketing and PR:
The naming of the Marketing and PR committee prompted a number of questions from delegates.
Cooraclare’s P.J McGuane felt there should be two committees. “Marketing should stand on its own as should PR. Were you not happy with the PR committee that was there for the last two years”, he asked.
Responding chairman Kieran Keating said “Byelaw number 5 says it’s a marketing and PR committee. The focus of the PR committee for the past two years was on programmes”.
Clondegad’s Seamus O’Reilly, a member of the outgoing PR committee, was loud in his praise for the quality of the programmes produced by the committee. “In Limerick last week it was just a sheet, in Offaly, just four pages. We mightn’t have colour but our programmes have been as good as any. Anne Hayes has been busy preparing, proofing all on her own time. She deserves every commendation. Her contribution has not been properly recognized”.
“The previous programmes were good as well”, chairman Kieran Keating replied.
The make-up of this committee, named by the chairman, is Mark O’Connell (Clarecastle), Peter O’Connell (Shannon Gaels), Shane Malone (TUS), Anne Hayes (PRO), Aaron Carroll (Assistant PRO) with one more to be appointed;
A number of other committees were ratified at Tuesday’s meeting as follows;
Coaching and Games: Neil O’Brien (chairman), Micheál Duffy, Liam O’Grady, John Enright, Jamesie O’Connor, Paul Reidy, M.J. Malone, Donal Madden, Paul Hogan, Michael Griffin, Ger Keane, Orla Considine, Cormac Heffernan, Fergal O’Brien and Anne Hayes
Culture committee: Joe Garry, Domhnall Ó Loinsigh, Michael O’Neill, Anne Hayes, Grace Cunningham;
Referees committee: Seanie McMahon (administrator), Rory McGann, Ger Hoey, Ger Lyons, Flann O’Reilly, Rory Hickey, Damian Fox.
Audit and risk committee: Paula McDonnell (chairperson), Vincent Delaney (Sixmilebridge), Paul O’Sullivan (Cratloe), Jane Doohan (Eire Og), and Fergal Cahill
Upgrading Clareabbey:
Work on the upgrading of Clare GAA headquarters at Clareabbey will begin in the next two weeks and will cost in excess of €600,000, the March meeting of Clare GAA was told on Tuesday night.
“We have €750,000 to draw down from Munster Council since Páirc Uí Chaoimh was developed. The management committee has approved the project. Bar the shell of the building this is to re-build Clareabbey, to modernise the offices, new dressing rooms, move the stairs and make it the modern building we can be proud of and have meetings there and have our staff based there,” Keating stated.
He continued, “we had a tender process which Ger O’Malley and Tom McNamara and Associates handled and Martin Murphy Construction was awarded the contract”
Replying to Clondegad’s Seamus O’Reilly who asked if any provision had been made to store archives, he said “we don’t have a lot of space there. We want to make the kitchen and canteen suitable for feeding teams after training there and it leaves us with less office space rather than more. We are not planning on having an archive room there. We are just trying to make better use of the space we have. We haven’t gone for costings to extend the space we have there. I don’t know if there is a lot of space for memorabilia there but we have Caherlohan”.
“The first thing is to make the place workable and doing that right is very high on our agenda. There is work to be done in the future on how we manage storing memorabilia”, Head of Operations Deirdre Murphy told the meeting.
In reply to a query from Ruan delegate Michael O’Regan who asked if the building will be wheelchair friendly, the chairman said “it’s something we are working on. Space is tight but we have costed a lift which wasn’t included in the original cost. We are trying to see how we can fit it in”.
Special permission:
The meeting unanimously agreed to give the board permission to consider applications from players seeking permission to continue assisting clubs they have been playing with in recent years, should they return from Australia later in the summer in time for the club championships, provided they have submitted their applications by the end of March deadline.
The chairman informed the delegates that such applications could not be considered now as the players involved had transferred from their home clubs.
Fixture clash for Clare football:
Replying to Kildysart’s John Meade as to why the Clare under 20 and senior footballers are scheduled to play key fixtures on the same afternoon (Saturday March 16), board chairman Kieran Keating explained that the league fixture vs Antrim was originally scheduled for March 17 but was changed so as not to clash with the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Ennis. Antrim agreed to the change.
He went on to say that “Waterford had originally indicated to us that they would be looking to have the under 20 fixture moved to Monday because their seniors are in London on the Saturday but they came back and said they were happy to leave the fixture as scheduled. It’s not ideal and we now have three fixtures on the Saturday as the senior hurlers’ league tie with Offaly has been brought forward by a day. Look, it’s great to have three big games and hopefully supporters will come out and support the teams”.
St. Breckan’s development:
St. Breckan’s GAA club sought permission to borrow €149,000 to upgrade their sports complex in Lisdoonvarna.
Kieran Thynne told the meeting that the premises was built in 1974 and it needs to be upgraded, totally re-wired and brought up to safety regulations. The building houses the club gym and meeting room.
Chairman Kieran Keating told the meeting that “the board’s facilities officer Ambrose Heagney is away at the moment and we will get him to look at this when he returns”.
Replying to a query as to whether or not the club’s pitch is vested in the GAA, chairman Keating said “the property they are upgrading is”.
Central Council delegate Robert Frost said “they have got grants so some of their property is vested”.
New teams:
Four clubs were given permission to apply for more than the five regradings allowed as they will be fielding an additional team each this season. The clubs are Sixmilebridge who will be fielding a fifth adult team, Éire Óg, Clonlara and Inagh/Kilnamona, all of whom will be entering a fourth adult side. All will be competing at junior C level. All four will now submit lists of the players they want regraded to the CCC for consideration.
Sympathy:
Sympathy was extended to the Custy family, Toonagh, the McNamara family Crusheen, the Hegarty family Newmarket-on-Fergus, the Kelleher family Broadford, the Ryan family Cratloe and the Burke family Feakle on their recent bereavements.
Ruan’s Michael O’Regan told the meeting that the late Frank Custy had played a huge part in the life of Ruan parish and Ruan GAA. He had won three senior championships with the club in 1959, 1960 and 1962 and he was a selector when the club last reached the senior final in 1988.
Crusheen’s Tony O’Donnell recalled the commitment of the late Gerry McNamara to their club.
Chairman Kieran Keating extended sympathy to former board officer John Ryan Cratloe on the death of his wife, Kitty earlier this week.
Congress report:
Central Council delegate Robert Frost informed the delegates that he was one of six delegates that represented the county at the recent congress in Newry. He reminded the meeting that from next year under 20 players who are part of their county panels at under 20 and senior level will be eligible to play for both provided there are 60 hours between games.
He added that cards issued to players during games will now carry over into extra time.
Responding to a query from Bord na nÓg hurling secretary Pat Gavin, Head of Operations Deirdre Murphy told the meeting that details of these changes will be forwarded to clubs once Croke Park issue the details.
Should fixtures be deferred:
Sixmilebridge delegate P.J. Fitzpatrick asked “would it be prudent not to start our league fixtures at the weekend. Pitches are in a bad state and if we cut them up now it will take time for them to recover”. He suggested delaying the games scheduled for this week until after round 4 of the competitions.
“We have a masters fixture plan adopted”, chairman Kieran Keating commented.
“He has a point”, commented Cooraclare’s P.J. McGuane “but we have a masters fixtures plan. It has been the wettest February in living memory but if we get three or four dry days in March everything will be forgotten. It can’t keep raining forever. Some people are very protective of their pitches and latitude will have to be given”.
There was no contribution from any other delegate on this subject.
