Convention set to discuss 48 motions

There are 48 motions listed for discussion at this Thursday’s County GAA convention at the Auburn Lodge Hotel, Ennis, that will start with the registration of delegates from 6.15pm with the business of the meeting getting underway at 6.45pm.
It’s expected, however, that motions dealing with competition structures will be deferred to January and dealt with at a special meeting when the report from the committee currently meeting with clubs across the county to review competition structures will be presented.
West Clare neighbours, Kilmurry-Ibrickane and Doonbeg, have tabled motions calling for games in the Senior Football Championship to be played every two weeks once the competition gets underway. It is expected there will be strong support for this proposal.
Inagh-Kilnamona and Tulla both want quarter-finals in the Junior B Hurling Championship, while St Joseph’s, Doora-Barefield and Tulla want dates for the junior football and hurling championships set out in the Master Fixtures plan. Ennistymon and Sixmilebridge both want quarter-finals in the Intermediate Hurling Championship. Clarecastle want the Intermediate Hurling Championship organised to have three groups of four rather than two groups of six.
Sixmilebridge will propose that “to facilitate the running of the junior and intermediate championships, a panel of 22 players who cannot compete at these levels, be named”. They will also ask that the county final be played by the first Sunday in October.

Board meetings – how many?
A lively debate is expected when contrasting motions from Sixmilebridge and Miltown dealing with county board meetings comes up for discussion.
Sixmilebridge will ask that bylaw 11 of Clare GAA bylaws be amended to allow for six meetings of the county committee to be held annually, which would be attended by the club chairman, secretary, board delegate and the manager of the most senior team in the club.
The first of these meetings would be held in February with the county committee to determine the dates for the remaining five meetings. The duration of the meeting would be three hours with one devoted to football, one to hurling and the final hour for general business discussion.
Twenty five members would form a quorum and the county committee would decide if further meetings are necessary and arrange for same. A special meeting may be called by the county chairperson and secretary on the written request of at least four club delegates from different parishes, who must specify in their request the reason for the meeting.
Miltown St Joseph’s will ask that meetings of the county committee be held each month with the exception of the month in which the county convention is held with agendas for the meetings to be made available a minimum of five days before the meetings. In line with Sixmilebridge, they say a special meeting may be called on the written request of at least four clubs from different parishes, who must specify the reason for which the meeting is being called.

Miltown propose new football championship format
Miltown St Joseph’s are proposing a change in the format of the Senior Football Championship for the coming year as follows:
Round 1: 16 teams play eight games in an open draw format; round 2: A – eight winning teams play down to four and B – eight losing teams play down to four; round 3: four losing teams in A play the four losing team in B; quarter finals: four winning teams from A in round two play the four winning teams in round three; semi-finals: four winning quarter-finalists; final: two winning semi-finalists.
An open draw is to apply for all rounds and, where possible, teams that have met previously avoid each other. The four losing teams from B in round two would play-off to determine who would be relegated.
To determine the winners of the B championship, they propose that the four losing quarter-finalists play off with the two winners playing the beaten championship semi-finalists in the semi-finals of the B competition.
O’Callaghan’s Mills are proposing a change to the Senior Hurling Championship format as they look to revert to the system of 12 teams in senior A and eight in senior B.
They will also propose that there be three separate competitions in the Clare Champion Cup for Division 1, 2A and 2 B with the top four teams in each group playing in semi-finals, the top two being promoted. The bottom two in each group would be relegated.
Clooney-Quin want the U-21 Hurling Championship to have a losers group for teams beaten in the first round.

Finance questions
Whitegate GAA have tabled a number of motions dealing with finance. They will ask that the treasurer “supply a more detailed breakdown of expenses, in particular, a breakdown of location and costs of property rental, office rental, venue hire and training facilities”.
The East Clare club will also ask that the treasurer supply to clubs, on a quarterly period, “a detailed report of expenditure and income by the county board, in particular team expenses and administration expenses which are two of the three largest items of expenditure”.
They also want the treasurer “to supply a breakdown of expenses on a per team basis for adult teams, in particular, costs of hurleys/footballs, medical, player expenses, laundry, physiotherapy and masseurs, training facilities, travel costs and catering expenses”.

Rule change
Both Miltown and Ruan want a rule change brought in which will limit the number of hand passes to three.
Ruan will propose that the senior and intermediate hurling and football championship finals be played in a pitch that is enclosed and with covered accommodation.
Inagh-Kilnamona want an electronic scoreboard installed at Cusack Park.

Fixtures
Sixmilebridge will propose that no inter-county management should have the right to request a change to the master fixture list while Whitegate will ask that “giving regard to the current and possible future fixture congestion for club fixtures, the period of time during which inter-county players shall not be expected to fulfil inter-club championship fixtures prior to inter-county championship games in the same code be reduced to a maximum of ten days for all other games, except All-Ireland finals.”

Amalgamations
Scariff will propose that “in the light of the current economic climate, consideration be given to allow clubs to amalgamate or receive assistance where it can be shown that due to emigration or other factors, a club will be unable to continue to enter a team in a particular grade.”
The Banner club will ask, “in the interest and the promotion of Gaelic games, a county committee can grant junior club players that do not have a senior or intermediate team in their club, permission to play with a senior or intermediate team within the county as an isolated player without losing their status”.

Disciplinary issues
Sixmilebridge will propose that, “the referee acts decisively to guard the players’ safety when serious intent to injure is obvious and that the disciplinary committee applies an appropriate suspension as befits the seriousness of the offence”.
Clarecastle want the county board to establish a committee to review the enforcement of the rules in relation to the category 111 infraction, “striking with hurley, either with force or causing injury”.
“The remit of this committee should be to establish clear guidelines to be applied by the CCC in determining when to invoke the gravity provisions or suspensions allowed for in Rule 7.5(b), highlighting in particular the consideration that should be afforded to any comments in the referee’s report relating to the seriousness/gravity of the particular offence.”