Eleven executive members to hold posts

ELEVEN members of the outgoing executive of Clare GAA will hold the same posts for the coming year. When nominations closed last week, they were the only nominees for the positions.
Two of these, vice-chairman Johnnie Hill and development officer Ger Hickey may well step down if they decide to contest the positions of Munster council and central council delegate respectively. There has been speculation for a while that Hill is considering seeking election as a delegate to the provincial body, a post he held previously. That his own club has nominated him for the position suggests he may allow his name to go forward.
Some years ago, it was decided at convention that all nominees for posts on the executive must withdraw their names, if they do not intend to seek election, at least a week before the annual gathering.
There will be a new coaching officer, a new central council delegate and at least one new Munster council delegate, following the annual convention on December 17.
Ger Hickey (Feakle) and PJ McGuane (Cooraclare) are seeking to replace Tom Downes as Clare’s central council delegate. Both are members of the outgoing executive. McGuane recently signalled that he is stepping down from his position as a Munster council delegate. Hickey is the board’s development officer and is the only nominee for that position for the coming season.
Coaching officer Michael O’Connor (Crusheen) is again nominated for the position but he has already signalled that he will not be a candidate. Bord na nÓg hurling chairman, Seán O’Halloran, and Bord na nÓg football secretary, Anne Hayes, are also nominated for this position.
There are four nominees for the positions of Munster council delegates, with two to be elected. They are Robert Frost, Tom Downes, James Breen and Johnnie Hill.
Those who are unopposed are John Hanly (president); Michael O’Neill (chairman), Johnnie Hill (vice-chairman), Des Crowe (assistant secretary), Bernard Keane (treasurer), PJ Kelly (assistant treasurer), Sandra Reynolds (youth officer), Syl O’Connor (PRO), Tom Burke (Irish officer) and Ger Hickey (development officer). The post of county secretary, filled by Pat Fitzgerald, is a full-time position.
Over 40 motions have been submitted and these include calls for a line-ball effort that goes over the bar to count as two points, the introduction of the mark in football and a penalty when players are penalised for stepping outside the square when taking the puck-out in hurling to be a throw-in on the 20m line.
There is sure to be much interest in the views of clubs on a motion that asks that the senior championship be limited to 12 teams. There will be a call that players who are over 30 years are not compelled to wear helmets. From January 1 next, it will be compulsory for all hurlers to wear a helmet. Whatever the view of the Clare convention on this, there is unlikely to be any change as the decision was taken on the advice of the association’s health and safety committee.