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Tag Archives: Michael McDonagh

Clare ‘FF poll’ sparks controversy

THE publication of a so-called fictitious internal Fianna Fáil poll with percentage ratings for five general election candidates in Clare was designed to hinder the election chances of some contestants. That’s the charge levelled by Clare GAA County Board chairman, Michael McDonagh, who issued a scathing attack on the unnamed source who provided information for a media report. Mr McDonagh, who will be one of the five general election candidates seeking a party nomination before the closing date of June 22, launched his broadside as senior party figures at local and national level insisted no official poll was completed on their behalf at this stage. The contents of the report prompted Mr McDonagh to vent his anger in a hard-hitting statement issued to The Clare Champion. “When an individual, well-placed and trusted Fianna Fáil media source gives an interview to the press about the results of an internal Fianna Fáil opinion poll that has never taken place, you know you …

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Clare football manager serving ban

Clare senior football manager, Colm Collins, could be confined to the stands for his side’s provincial championship opening tie against Limerick, as he is serving a 12-week ban. The Clare Champion has learned that the Competition Control Commitee (CCC) handed down a three-month suspension arising out of an incident with a linesman during Clare’s victory over Fermanagh in their last National Football League game in Cusack Park. It is understood that the suspension, which the Clare manager has accepted, was delivered a few weeks ago. Efforts to contact Colm Collins for a comment on Wednesday proved unsuccessful. Senior Clare GAA County Board officials had remained tight lipped about the suspension until board chairman, Michael McDonagh, was contacted with details about the ban, which only emerged about 10 days before the county footballers take on the Shannonsiders in Cusack Park. Clare GAA supporters will be left wondering why details of Collins’ suspension are only coming to light this week in the …

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GAA chair willing to mediate in disciplinary dispute

CLARE GAA County Board chairman, Michael McDonagh, said he would have made himself available to mediate between players and management in the disciplinary dispute that has rocked the local hurling scene. On Wednesday evening, the Clare senior hurling management and panel issued a brief statement in response to the controversy surrounding the disciplining of Davy O’Halloran and Nicky O’Connell. “The Clare senior hurling panel and management have met on the recent disciplinary issues that have been aired in the public domain. All involved are happy that the matter was dealt with fairly. “While there are numerous inaccuracies reported in the media, on social media and in a former player’s statement, the matter is now closed and we, as a group, are all happy to move forward united and to continue to enjoy working hard for Clare hurling.” The statement was signed by Pat Donnellan and Cian Dillon, on behalf of the players and the management trio of Davy Fitzgerald, Michael …

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Putting a GAA master fixtures plan in place

During a discussion on the proposed fixtures schedule for 2015, Clare GAA County Board chairman, Michael McDonagh, criticised football clubs for not favouring a start date for the senior championship before July. “I am very disappointed with the attitude of the football clubs. If we don’t start our championship before the end of July, we will have several young players from the county heading out of the country,” he told this week’s meeting. Outlining the proposed schedule, Colm Browne (Kilrush), on behalf of the committee charged with putting the plan in place, said they were “left with very limited options when the national fixtures proposals are taken into consideration. The same issues and the same difficulties are there each year, with a few different parameters”. Browne pointed out a new consideration this year. “There is an A and a B football qualifier this year. If the Clare footballers lose to Limerick in the first round of the championship, they will …

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McDonagh backs radical alteration to inter-county schedule

CLARE County Board chairman Michael McDonagh has supported 1993 Derry All-Ireland winner Joe Brolly’s suggestion that the inter-county league and championship system should be completely overhauled. In fact the Miltown Malbay clubman has told The Clare Champion that the national hurling and football leagues should start in January, while the All-Ireland finals should be completed by August 1. “I think the clubs have been let down by an expanded inter-county scene and I think it’s now time to start a national debate on it. My own opinion is that the inter-county leagues should start in January and finish by March. We should be able to run out county leagues in tandem with that,” McDonagh said. “Inter-county championships should start in April and finish by mid July. This would enable our club championships to start in August and finish by the end of September. I don’t think there should be any such thing as the McGrath Cup or the O’Bryne Cup. …

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Daly’s new Limerick role a shock for Clare GAA

One of the men behind setting up the development squad structure for Clare hurling has described the failure of Clare GAA to offer Anthony Daly a role as “a lost opportunity”. Speaking after it was confirmed that Daly will manage the Limerick development squads and will also fill the role of coach of the Limerick minor hurlers for 2015, Tulla’s Jim McInerney said Daly “has been available for a number of weeks since he stepped down from the post of Dublin manager. He is an ideal candidate to get involved with the underage squads and to be a coach to the Clare minors”. McInerney, along with Sean O’Halloran, Seanie McMahon, Brian Quinn and Jamesie O’Connor, helped put the Clare development squad structure in place some years ago. McInerney’s view with regard to Daly’s suitability for the role of managing the development squad structure, is shared by many in the county. Clare’s loss is Limerick’s gain and while no one is …

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