Peter O’Connell talks to Michael McDonagh and Noel O’Driscoll, the two front-runners in the race for the position of Clare County board chairman

 

O’Driscoll seeks GAA ‘openness’

CLARE Gaa county chairman candidate Noel O’Driscoll has told The Clare Champion he will demand more openness in Clare GAA if he is elected. The former O’Callaghan’s Mills hurler, who refereed for 20 years and has served as  county board youth officer and county board coaching officer would also establish a football monitoring committee, which would have to report monthly to the county board.

“I’d make the county board a bit more open and a bit more transparent. It needs to be thrown open. Certain people, who I shall not name, need to loosen their grip on GAA affairs in the county. That’s being very honest and very blunt,” he said.

“I think we need to project a better image in the GAA. In Cusack Park on county final days, you’ve some stewards throwing their weight around. It’s not a good image for the GAA,” the now retired Department of Agriculture employee believes.

A former fixtures and disciplinary committee member, O’Driscoll says that despite his hurling background, he has a huge interest in football and has attended virtually every football final in Clare in his time, along with football finals in Galway, Cork and Kerry.

“There’s a number of things I’d like to do if I get the job. One of the first things I’d do is set up a football monitoring committee of about six hand-picked people. One of them would be John Enright. He knows the scene back west inside out. He knows what’s going on in the schools and clubs as well.

They’d monitor football from 12 years up to senior. I’d ask them to come into every board meeting and report on what’s happening,” he explained.

O’Driscoll says running for the post of county board chairman was not on his agenda until recent months.

“To be honest, six months ago, it was the furthest thought from my head. But I was approached by a few people from West Clare clubs believe it or not. They suggested that I should stand. Would you believe, an 85-year-old ex Clare hurler also rang me, out of the blue one evening. He said ‘will you not go for the chair?’ I thought about it. I’m retired from my job now and I’ve a bit more time on my hands, other than farming fairly extensively. So I said I’d throw my hat in the ring,” he said.

Noel O’Driscoll’s GAA lineage goes back to the beginning of the organisation in 1884. 

“Jimmy Smyth rang me when he worked in Croke Park about 30 years ago. He asked who was Thomas O’Driscoll from O’Callaghan’s Mills? I said he was my grandfather. Jimmy said that he was recorded as having attended one of the first meetings of the GAA in Thurles. I said I knew that because my father told me. Thomas and a man called Dinny Lenihan, who were first cousins, rode two horses from O’Callaghan’s Mills, to Birdhill railway station and took a train from there to Thurles,” Noel O’Driscoll recounted. 

His grand uncle Pat ‘Hyde’ O’Driscoll played in the 1896 county final where O’Callaghan’s Mills were beaten 1-6 to 0-3 and had their clothes burned by Tulla supporters.

Noel O’Driscoll played with the ‘Mills until he was 40 years old.

“I wouldn’t be a fantastic timekeeper but when I arrived they said, ‘come on. Tog out and go in full-forward.’ The man on my left was a man called Martin Lenihan. After 10 minutes I said to him, ‘who’s the young fella in the other corner?’ He said ‘he’s my son.’ I said ‘now Martin, it’s time for us to pack it in,” Noel O’Driscoll laughed as another chapter in his GAA involvement unfolds.

McDonagh confirms his bid

FORMER Clare County Board chairman, Michael McDonagh has confirmed to The Clare Champion that he will again seek the position of chairman at convention on Tuesday, December 18.

He last served in the position from 2003 to 2007. He made his decision having had it confirmed first hand by current vice-chairman Joe Cooney and former Bórd na nÓg Iomaint chairman Seán O’Halloran, that they are not seeking election.

“When something is in the blood, it’s hard to get out. The GAA is in the blood and that’s why I’m going back. I like it and that’s why I’m looking for support and putting my name forward.

“Since I was chairman, I’ve been in the stand committee in Miltown. We erected a stand under the chairmanship of John Reidy. Then I was children’s officer with the county board for the last year. The bug is there. You only live once and you might as well go and do it if you can,” the Miltown Malbay club man said.
He acknowledges that the role is demanding but believes that Clare GAA’s full-time staff will ease the workload on whoever the new chairman is.

“It’s massively time-consuming but we have staff below in Clareabbey. There’s three girls there and Pat Fitzgerald is the full-time secretary. I think that will make things an awful lot easier. I’ve a lot of friends made throughout the GAA. People are positive that I’m willing to put my name forward. Not too many want to do this job and I suppose it’s a thankless job. Your private life becomes public but I’m happy enough to let my name go forward at this stage,” he added.

McDonagh maintains that his primary interest, if elected, will be helping Clare improve on the field even if the playing population is depleted due to economic circumstances.

“Everything has to be about games promotion at this stage. There isn’t a house in this county, probably, that hasn’t a young person who hasn’t emigrated or who is unemployed after coming out of college. That includes my own house. I know what it’s like. It’s heartbreaking to see it. Clubs have their backs to the wall. We have to hold our own on games promotion,” he maintains.

“Hurling is going very well from underage up along but in football, we’re struggling. The one thing I’d like to do is make sure that we have a good set-up under age and that we have players coming through.

“I think it’s working well this year with the Clare seniors, U-21s and juniors where some of the management are overlapping. We also have to look after the players from minor to U-21. That’s going to be our big project for the next five years,” McDonagh predicted.

He is confident Clare GAA will be in a financially healthy position if he is elected chairman. At the last county board meeting, board treasurer Bernard Keane said the “picture for 2012 isn’t good”. He outlined that the county football final had realised a gate of just €27,500.

“I know what it’s like to run the scene. The last time I was in I put in, place a financial committee run by Michael Curtin and it has worked very well. They meet once a month and approve everything within the board,” McDonagh concluded.