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Although nominated, Michael 'Malty' McDonagh says he will not be a candidate at convention.

Players emigrating off the GAA fields

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CLARE GAA County Board chairman, Michael McDonagh, believes the player haemorrhage from Clare is far worse than official records show.

Clare GAA Chairman  Michael Mc Donagh. Photograph by John Kelly.
Clare GAA Chairman Michael Mc Donagh. Photograph by John Kelly.

Fifty-six players departed the Banner County in 2013 and 45 transferred to clubs abroad in 2012, according to figures posted on the GAA website, meaning a total of 101 hurlers and footballers left the county over the past two years.

However, the county board chair feels the level of emigration is much higher than the official figures suggest.

“One of the worst hit clubs I’d say is Kilmihil. They have lost nearly a team themselves. In West Clare alone, I’d be surprised if it stopped at 100 because I think that there are an awful lot of people gone who haven’t transferred. My honest opinion is you’ve 100 who transferred but another 100 or 150 who have gone but haven’t transferred. They’re not bothering with hurling or football; they’re just gone. I’d say there’s probably between 200 and 300 players, if not more, gone out of Clare.”

He said clubs frequently tell him they are struggling to field teams. Many clubs are bringing players into the adult ranks at an earlier age, without many other options, he feels.  “Minors will be brought on a lot earlier, they’re coming up to fill the void.”

He doesn’t believe that very many play abroad without transferring, rather that they just don’t involve themselves with hurling or football in their new homes.
“The bottom line is we’re in a bad economic climate and if we’ve young lads that are going away to the States or Australia or somewhere else like that, in order to keep them going and hope they will come back, you’d hope they’d keep playing GAA. You have figures there that 100 have transferred but it’s my opinion that the number gone is between two and three hundred. I’d say it’s closer to 300; in other words, we’ve lost another 200 that have transferred and aren’t playing GAA.”

McDonagh said clubs are flying players back home from Britain, sometimes booking tickets months in advance.
GAA vice-chair Joe Cooney sounded a hopeful note when he said he thinks the level of emigration has slowed. “I wouldn’t say there is as much emigration as there was a few years ago. But a lot of lads have gone back to college and come the summer, a lot of them may be going to America to get work.”

He feels that many people who wanted to find work have already left at this stage.
Kilmihil GAA Club chairman, Eoin Downes, said that emigration has hit the club very hard, “We would definitely have lost 20 to 30 anyway, definitely. There’s an age group between 25 and 30 and they’re all gone like. Most of them are gone to Australia.”

In 2013, the club’s second team couldn’t be sustained but things are looking up for this year.

“Last year we couldn’t field a junior team but this year, we’ll be entering a junior team. We have a lot of young lads coming through from underage and we’ll be hoping that they’ll step up to it,” he said.

Owen Ryan

Owen Ryan

Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked for a number of other regional titles in Limerick, Galway and Cork.

About Owen Ryan

Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked for a number of other regional titles in Limerick, Galway and Cork.

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