County Board meeting round-up

A NUMBER of management teams were put in place for 2013 at the final county board meeting of the year, which took place at the West County Hotel on Thursday night last.

Selected not elected
FROM the end of 2013 onwards, Bord na nÓg executives will be selected rather than elected, delegates attending the November meeting of Clare GAA were told last week.

County secretary Pat Fitzgerald told the delegates, “This is official and it applies from the top down. Minor clubs are gone. They cannot hold AGMs. They are all sub-committees and in the case of the Bord na nÓg, the county board will select a chairman and secretary.

Selection committees ratified
AS announced in last week’s Clare Champion, the minor hurling and U-21 hurling and football management teams for 2013 were ratified at the meeting.

Eamonn Fennessy will continue as minor hurling manager and will be joined by Kenny Morrissey (Clarecastle) and Richard Woods (Newmarket).

The U-21 hurling management team is unchanged with Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor as joint managers. They are again joined by Paul Kinnerk and Jimmy Browne. They will also have charge of the intermediate hurlers.

Cooraclare’s Joe Garry is the U-21 football manager and his selectors are Ger Keane (St Senan’s), Peter O’Connell (Shannon Gaels) and David O’Brien (Miltown, St Joseph’s). They will also take charge of the county junior football team.

Hurling league
MOST of those at last week’s board meeting believe the National Hurling League in 2014 should be comprised of groups of eight.

Finances ‘not good’
PRESENTING his financial report to the delegates, treasurer Bernard Keane said, “The books have gone to audit but the picture for 2012 isn’t good. Our county finals and, in particular, the football final were well down.”

Responding to a query from O’Callaghan’s Mills’ delegate Noel O’Driscoll, the treasurer said the income from the football final was €27,500, while the hurling final brought in €45,000.

“Ye should have gone to Miltown,” commented Noel Walsh.

Formal welcome for Micko
FORMALLY welcoming Mick O’Dwyer as the new county senior football manager, Gabriel Keating said he wanted to recognise “the amount of work the chairman [Michael O’Neill] put into this appointment”.

“It’s early days yet but Micko has been here on a number of occasions,” the chairman told the meeting.
Complimenting all and welcoming O’Dwyer, Miltown delegate Noel Walsh asked if there has been any progress on the appointment of another selector.

“That was an option the committee wanted to have. The committee hasn’t met since the appointment,” O’ Neill replied.

“I would hope to see someone from the ’92 team involved, joining forces with the two young selectors that are there,” Walsh commented.

CHC appointment
BROADFORD’S Eugene Moloney was appointed to serve on the County Hearings Committee (CHC) for the remainder of the season on the proposition of Central Council delegate Ger Hickey, seconded by Bord na nÓg chairman Martin Reynolds.

 

Inter-provincial ­championships to continue
THOSE at last Thursday’s Clare County Board meeting were told, in a written report from Clare’s Central Council delegate Ger Hickey, that their last meeting decided the inter-provincial championships will be played in spring 2013.

Long-time supporter of these championships, Noel Walsh welcomed the decision but expressed disappointment at the timing. “It’s strange that they have decided to play these competitions at a time that is saturated with competitions. The Fitzgibbon and Sigerson cups and the leagues will mean that managements will be reluctant to release the players. It will create a problem. Why not play these competitions in October when there are no inter-county competitions? We will be putting forward our motion again next year,” he said.

Pointing out that Miltown’s motion, as put to the last county board meeting, was on the agenda, Hickey told the meeting, “Several people spoke on this subject, including people who want to have the competitions scrapped”.

No to Saturday replays
THE Central Council’s recommendation that in the event of a replay of the All-Ireland hurling final, the game should take place on a Saturday, possibly under lights, did not meet with approval from Clare delegates.
O’Callaghan’s Mills delegate Noel O’Driscoll said, “It’s not totally satisfactory playing under lights and it would demean the final if it’s played under lights on a Saturday”.

Naomh Eoin delegate Gabriel Keating suggested bringing the final forward a week as “this would provide more time for a replay”.

Opposing the proposal, St Joseph’s delegate Pat Frawley said, “They have no regard for safety of supporters if they expect them to come onto the streets of Dublin at 9pm or 10pm on a Saturday night. Is that a safe environment?”

Ger Hickey told the meeting “there was no objection when it was put forward at the Central Council meeting”.

“It would be downgrading the final to play it on a Saturday night,” Michael Cusack’s delegate Dominic Conroy told the meeting.

According to board chairman Michael O’Neill, “Sunday is the day for these finals”.

Munster CEO gets another term
MUNSTER Council CEO Pat Fitzgerald has been appointed for another five-year term, Munster Council delegate Tom Downes told last week’s board meeting.

Commenting that he hadn’t seen any notice about the position being vacant, Miltown’s Noel Walsh, a former chairman of the council, asked “if the position was advertised so that others could apply?”

Tributes to McGuane
ENDA McGuane’s decision to step down as deputy CEO of the Munster Council will be a big loss, the Clare County Board meeting was told.

“He is moving on to another job in Galway where he lives. He has served the council well over the last three years,” Tom Downes told the meeting.

“He will be a big loss to the council,” according to Clare secretary, Pat Fitzgerald.

Changing times
BEFORE the meeting concluded, Miltown’s Noel Walsh paid tribute to “the chairman, who is stepping down after five years of very successful office and also to the other officers whose terms end this year”.

Noel O’Driscoll (O’Callaghan’s Mills) also paid tribute to the chairman. “I have known you a long time and you performed very well. I hope our friendship will continue.”

“I have enjoyed every minute of the last five years and I have had great officers with me. The GAA is not about any individuals,” replied the chairman.

Tom Downes paid tribute to the chairman “for your total commitment to football”.

Munster Council grants
GRANTS totalling €143,868 were presented by the Munster GAA Council to 13 clubs, two schools, one handball club and the county board at a function at Clare GAA headquarters in Clareabbey on Monday evening.

The presentations were for development work carried out in the past year and were made by incoming chairman of the council, Robert Frost.

Burrane National School (Killimer) received €5,000 towards the cost of rock removal and clearing a site for development, while Stonehall National School received €424 towards the provision of a ball wall on the school grounds.

Tuamgraney Handball Club received €5,000 towards the re-roofing of their 60 x 30 court and the joining of the 60 x 30 and 40 x 20 alleys.

The following clubs received grants towards development works carried out, Bodyke (€814), Corofin (€1,560), Crusheen (€743), Éire Óg (€912), Inagh-Kilnamona (€3,514), Kilmaley (€3,988), Lissycasey (€4,216), O’Curry’s (€1,560), St Breckan’s (€1,017), Sixmilebridge (€5,533), St Joseph’s, Doora-Barefield (€5,088) and Wolfe Tones (€2,256).

A grant of €100,000 was sanctioned for Cusack Park, half of which was paid last year.