*Cormac Murray chases after Gavin White in the Munster SFC semi-final. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
MUNSTER GAA Chairman Tim Murphy has come under fire for ‘putting Kerry before Munster’ when defeating a proposal from Clare GAA to take home advantage from Cork and Kerry in the Munster SFC semi-finals and finals.
Clare GAA Chairman, Kieran Keating said it was a case of “GAA politics” when the matter was discussed at the August meeting of the County Board. At this meeting, Munster delegate Joe Garry said other options will now be explored by Clare.
The meeting was also informed that the most recent Central Council sitting had unanimous agreement that the GAA maintain its sponsorship with Allianz.
Clare have ‘other options’:
Informing this week’s Clare GAA board meeting of the Munster Council decision to vote against a proposal from Clare, Limerick, Waterford and Tipperary regarding the Munster senior football championship, Munster delegate Joe Garry said “we have other options”.
He outlined how delegates from the four counties voted in favour of having home advantage in championship games against Cork and Kerry while the current seeding arrangement remains in place. Cork and Kerry voted against the proposal as did the four officers of the Council, three of whom come from Waterford and Limerick. This tied the vote at 8-8 leaving the casting vote to the chairman who opposed the proposal from the four counties.
“In practical terms this is not how it works. We have other options. There will be another meeting before the Munster championship draw and this is something we have to look at”, Garry said.
Complimenting both Joe and his fellow Munster delegate John Callinan, board chairman Kieran Keating said “I know ye did very well in explaining the thinking behind the motion which we put. It’s unfortunate the any of the top table didn’t see reasons maybe to abstain and let the counties decide rather than voting on what the chairman wanted but I suppose that’s the nature of politics and the GAA. Sometimes you don’t know what deals have been agreed beforehand”.
“It’s frightening to see the selfishness of Kerry and Cork, there was no generosity. Joe gave stats that it wouldn’t really change anything in terms of results but it would make matters more competitive. We asked the chair to not just have the legacy of maintaining a Kerry – Cork Munster final but also to have a look at the Munster championship. I have been prevailed on in the short time that I have been there that I should be Munster, not Clare. It’s very disappointing”, Munster delegate John Callinan told the meeting.
According to Planning and training officer Paddy Smyth “this whole scenario is a bit off the wall. Four counties voted for the proposal with two against. There are only six counties in Munster. That’s not democracy. Four officers didn’t listen to the majority of the counties. What are we dealing with here. Their only goal should be to promote the GAA. We don’t want to talk to Kerry or Killarney UDC n whatever it is. We want to promote our games. That’s our brief and that should be their brief but it obviously isn’t”.
“It’s a disgrace really and as a Clare board we should let the Munster Council regularly know that we are very upset about the matter. They come to us lots of times looking for this that or the other”, Ambrose Heagney told the meeting.
Replying chairman Kieran Keating said “I know that the answer will be that it was voted on. The counties elected four officers, that’s who we have in place. It ended up 8-8 and the Chairman then had the casting vote. He is from Kerry and his plan is to have Cork/Kerry finals in Killarney and Cork so he wasn’t going to support our motion. We can’t protest that the vote wasn’t fair. We can have our debates with members of the executive who didn’t back us and who rowed in behind the chairman. That’s GAA politics, unfortunately”.
Ruan delegate Michael O’Regan said “It’s not great on behalf of the Chairman where they pay lip service in trying to promote the games in the so-called weaker counties and yet when there is an opportunity for the game to in played in some of the weaker counties that the big boys are afraid to travel outside their boundaries. It was wrong of the chairman to put himself in the position that he put Kerry before Munster, that is what it would be perceived as”.
Master Fixtures:
The inter county masters fixtures plan for 2027 is “much the same as this year”, according to Central Council delegate Robert Frost who reported on a Central Council meeting held last week.
“The only thing, and it wouldn’t concern us is that they are talking about playing the Joe McDonagh cup final before an All-Ireland semi-final. There is for and against it. It’s yet to be decided”.
Continuing he told the delegates that “we had a long discussion about the Allianz sponsorship. It was unanimous that the GAA continue with the sponsorship as members couldn’t see any conflict of interest with what is happening in Gaza. It was pointed out that the GAA has made a major contribution through the Irish Red Cross in support of the people of Gaza”.
Fixture clash:
Clooney/Quin delegate John Skehan told the meeting that it was “an error to fix the Clooney/Quin vs Inagh/Kilnamona match in a direct clash with the All-Ireland football final (4p.m.). Something like a million people wanted to see and watched the All-Ireland football final. There were a lot of people at our match, players, mentors, officials gate checkers etc who wanted to watch the match. Under no circumstances should as tight a scheduling as that occur”.
According to Kieran Keating “that was an error. We would not have intended to have a clash like that. The All-Ireland final is a big day and generally, we try to keep that day as free as possible. With different grades, it can be difficult”.
Twenty clubs haven’t responded:
Twenty Clare clubs have yet to nominate a demographic officer, delegates at this week’s county board meeting.
County demographic officer Neil O’Brien’s report was presented to the meeting by Kieran Keating who named the clubs Banner, Scariff, Tulla, Ballyvaughan, St Joseph’s Miltown, Michael Cusacks, Moy, Lissycasey, Liscannor, Kilkee/Bealaha, Shannon Gaels, Sixmilebridge, Coolmeen, Corofin, Kilmihil, Kilrush, Clonbony, Clondegad, Kilmurry Ibrckane, Cooraclare.
“Some of those are clubs that are quite big and some are quite small and challenged demographically. They all need to appoint a demographic officer as its quite hard for the county officer to work in a vacuum. He is trying to understand the data he is gathering in relation to who is in the different schools and what clubs they are attached to. He will be e-mailing those clubs”, the chairman said.
Replying to a query from Corofin delegate Fergal Neylon, Head of Operations Ann Marie Moran stated, “the demographic committee want information from each of the clubs maybe to do with numbers, registrations, ages etc”.
Celtic Challenge:
In his end of year report to Clare GAA, Celtic Challenge hurling manager Brian Culbert said they “held 70 training sessions including challenge games. They had 50 players from 23 different clubs and there was at least five championship matches for every player. There were eight top class coaches sharing their knowledge and a trophy to show for it and, most importantly, a whole lot of enjoyment, friendships and craic along the way”.
“We got to play all counties in Munster and Leinster. One team lost out to Tipperary in one semi-final and the second team went on to beat Waterford in the semi-final and Limerick in the final. Clare got more value in the Celtic challenge than any other county. Some counties get nothing for their players. Clare players are treated the way county players should be”, his report continued.
Infrastructure grant:
Clare GAA has applied to Croke Park for a grant from the infrastructure fund.
“We have applied for a grant to help with upgrading the toilets area at Cusack Park. In the past we have received aid from this fund for work at Cahsrlohan”, Kieran Keating told delegates at this week’s meeting.
In reply to a query from Sixmilebridge delegate P.J. Fitzpatrick as to how much of a grant they had sought, the chairman said “the maximum is €200,000 and most counties have applied. We hope to get as much as possible.
Earlier in the meeting, delegates gave permission to Cooraclare and O’Currys to seek loans for development work at their club grounds.
Caherlohan on schedule:
The development of an astro turf pitch at Caherlohan is on schedule, Clare GAA Chairman Kieran Keating told the August County board meeting. “It is on schedule to be completed in October and ready for use in November”, he said before telling delegates that the September meeting of the board will take place at Caherlohan when progress on the works taking place there can be viewed.
Handball success:
Clare handball delegate, Mike Kelly extended congratulations to Iarla Kelleher and Claire Minogue on their respective victories in the All-Ireland under 14 one wall and the All-Ireland under 18 title wins.
He also extended thanks to Clare GAA PRO Aaron Carroll for including handball details in the club championship match programmes.
Irish classes:
Irish officer Leah Talty gave details on a ten-week course which will commence on September 21 and run on Monday nights. Each club is entitled to two free spots on the course she said.
Thanks to SOD:
Complimenting the Clare senior hurlers on their efforts in the All-Ireland semi-final, chairman Kieran Keating paid a special tribute to Éire Óg’s Shane O’Donnell who has confirmed his retirement from inter county hurling.
Praising his contribution to the 2013 and 2024 All-Ireland wins the chairman said “if he wasn’t there we would not have prevailed. We thank him for all he has done. He will be missed but we will see him in the red of Eire Og for a while yet”.
Supporting the chairman’s comments, Sixmilebridge’s P.J. Fitzpatrick also complimented senior hurling manager Brian Lohan. “Clare put on a fantastic performance in the All-Ireland semi-final”.
He went on to say that “we should have a meeting to discuss proposals to be put to the group looking at hurling rules. The changes introduced in football have been massive for the game”.
Venue change:
The August meeting of Clare GAA was scheduled for Kilrush but a late change occurred. Explaining this, chairman Kieran Keating said it was due to ESB upgrading works which are taking place in the Kilrush area and “we couldn’t guarantee that there would be power, hence the reason to change. I would hope that we might get there in October”.
Cusack Park:
Ambrose Heagney asked that clubs use the portable goalposts when warming up for games at Cusack Park. “Football clubs are very good but a lot of hurling clubs don’t do this. The main goal area is an area we must protect”, he said.
While speaking about championship games at Cusack Park, Heagney said he was “very impressed with two referees (Niall Donovan and Brendan Hannon) who made their senior debuts in the championship at Cusack Park at the weekend”.
“They all deserve our respect, we all make mistakes but referees don’t deliberately make mistakes”, commented chairman Kieran Keating.
Super 10’s:
Coaching officer Fintan Leamy told the meeting that thirty nine teams are taking part in the ‘super 10’s under 14 hurling and football tournament.
Integration:
Replying to a query from Wolfe Tones delegate Joe Kelly with regard to progress on plans for the proposed integration of the GAA, the LGFA and the Camogie Association, Central Council delegate Robert Frost said “there was nothing about it at our last Central Council meeting. I can’t see it happening this year”.
Callinan congratulated:
On the proposition of Munster council delegate, Cooraclare’s Joe Garry at the meeting extended congratulations to Clarecastle’s John Callinan on being honoured by the GPA with a Hall of Fame award recently.
