Clare Camogie Set To Elect New Secretary At 2020 AGM

Derrick Lynch

The 2020 Annual Convention of Clare Camogie will held virtually on Monday night next, with just one position on the executive set to be decided by election.

Marie Louise Kaiser is stepping down as secretary of the board, with two names in the hat to succeed the Newmarket-on-Fergus clubwoman in the role.

Ann Sanz of Banner and Ciaran Sheehan of Tulla are seeking election to the position with the result set to be announced on the night.

All other officers are expected to be returned to their positions unopposed, with Cratloe’s Joe O’Donnell continuing for another term as chairman.

In his address to this year’s Convention, he reflected on the fact that 2020 had begun in a positive manner for Clare camogie with some great wins in the National League for the senior and junior sides, while the Munster final victory for the minor squad was also a highlight of the year.

He outlined that the outbreak of Covid-19 not only put a stop to all games, but “worse still all training was stopped and players at all standards and ages were left without their favourite pastime”.

O’Donnell praised the efforts of the senior camogie squad in their fundraising efforts during the lockdown period which raised €6,000 for charity. He outlined that “this act alone shows that these players are not only dedicated in their efforts to perform at the highest standards in camogie, but also are well grounded in recognising the needs of those less fortunate”. He also acknowledged the achievement of reaching the All Ireland quarter-final and felt that this was a stepping stone to further advancement in the future.

The chairman also reserved special praise for PRO Bríd McNamara in light of her fundraising walking initiative which saw a total of €15,000 raised for Clare camogie. He also revealed that the Ruan woman has been shortlisted for Sport Ireland’s Volunteer Awards as a result of the project.

Unsurprisingly, it was a challenging year on the financial front for Clare camogie, with treasurer Martin Kaiser detailing that the total income for 2020 was down by nearly €100,000. He outlined that €20,000 of that figure was due to the lower capital grants following the completion of the dressing room project at Fr McNamara Park, but that €50,000 of that drop came from “severely curtailed fundraising activities and virtually no gate income”.

The Newmarket-on-Fergus clubman revealed that the postponement of most county team activity led to a drop in costs of €70,000 while “stringent cost controls” allowed another saving of €20,000. He noted that while the board are in a healthy position at the end of the financial year, the resumption of intercounty activity in the fourth quarter of the year will bring “significant cost that we did not have in previous years”. He outlined that the focus must be on “minimising cost and at the same time getting some of the lost income from sponsorship back while the teams are in action”.

In her PRO report, Brid McNamara thanked all those who were involved in the “Clare Camogie to Croker and Back” fundraising campaign. She outlined that it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to visit each of the 26 clubs in the county and thanked them for their “hospitality, welcome and genorosity.”