O’Malley elected Chair of CSSL

*John O’Malley, Cathal Jones, Wayne Skerritt and Emily Bradbury. 

AVENUE UTD’s John O’Malley has been elected as the new Chairman of the Clare Schoolboys/Schoolgirls Soccer League.

O’Malley makes the step up to Chairman from the role of Vice Chairperson and succeeds Deirdre Shannon Dromey, the Ennis woman was the first-ever female Chair of the CSSL and served for two years in this capacity and over a decade in other guises on the county committee.

Her efforts were praised by members of the top table during the AGM by officials including Emily Bradbury of Coole FC who was returned for a second year as secretary.

All nine officials were elected unopposed for their positions and were proposed en bloc by Denis Corry of Tulla Utd.

Ennis man O’Malley was player/manager of the Avenue Utd side which contested the 1990 FAI Junior Cup final, since then he has kept an active involvement in the club.

Wayne Skerritt of Corofin Harps will enter his third year as Treasurer with Coole FC’s Emily Bradbury returned as secretary, she was first elected at the 2023 AGM. She told the meeting that Brian O’Grady has been nominated as fixtures secretary and he is likely to be ratified at a committee meeting.

Pa O’Halloran of Bridge Utd and Hermitage FC’s Catherine Ryan have departed the committee.

Former Treasurer, Cathal Jones remains on the committee while Barry Downes and Conor McFadden who have been committee members in the past have both made a return. Lorraine Harrington of Coole FC is a new addition to the committee along with FAI Football Development Officer, Denis Hynes joining them.

Speaking at Monday’s AGM in Hotel Woodstock, O’Malley advised that Connolly Celtic’s Seán Cregan had expressed an interest in becoming the SFAI delegate where he would succeed Tommy Molloy. The Chairman said they would be accepting further expression of interests as they are entitled to have two delegates.

Reading the minutes of the 2023 AGM, the secretary detailed that a credit card was obtained by the Treasurer Wayne Skerritt “to make payments easier, there are four people to approve quicker and easier payment”. A joint proposal with the CDSL for the development of a site “is not dead but that is for another day,” she stated, this had been queried by Connolly Celtic at last year’s AGM.

CSSL Committee 2025:
Chairman: John O’Malley (Avenue Utd)
Treasurer: Wayne Skerritt (Corofin Harps)
Secretary: Emily Bradbury (Coole FC)
Committee member: Cathal Jones (Bunratty Cratloe FC)
Committee member: Brian O’Grady (Avenue Utd)
Committee member: Lorraine Harrington (Coole FC)
Committee member: Conor McFadden (Tulla Utd)
Committee member: Denis Hynes (Sporting Ennistymon)
Committee member: Barry Downes (Bridge Utd)