Expenditure to date exceeds €500,000

TO date this year, Clare GAA has paid out in excess of €500,000, treasurer Bernard Keane told the delegates.
He gave the following breakdown: team expenses, €253,575; administration, €97,234; coaching and games development, €95,886; grounds upkeep and maintenance, €37,410; cost of staging games, €27,000; financial expenses, €4,985 and promotional grants, €1,940. This is a total of €518,332,” Keane told the meeting.

 

The treasurer went on to urge all clubs to promote the upcoming county board draw and said, “every club is expected to sell a minimum of 100 tickets”.

Whitegate chairman David Solon expressed concern at the suggestion that clubs who fail to sell 100 tickets will face a levy. “The population of Whitegate, Scariff, Ogonnelloe and Feakle together would not match that of Sixmilebridge. I don’t know where we will sell 100 tickets.”

Supporting this view, Tubber’s Michael Lee said, “There should be a sliding scale. If you gave us a million, we could not sell 100 tickets. If you are talking about a levy, give us a target that is realistic.”

“The last thing the board wants is to put a levy on clubs. One hundred is the expectation per club. We will go into detail with the clubs as the time comes. Over the last number of years, income from gates has been dropping.

“We want to be in control of our own destiny. This is the only project that clubs are asked to put their shoulder to the wheel on,” Keane said.

June meeting in Scariff
THE next meeting of Clare GAA will take place on Tuesday, June 11 at Scariff, the meeting was told.

Clare to host congress?
GAA officials in Croke Park have invited requests from counties to host congress over the next three years.

Board chairman Michael McDonagh told delegates that he had asked the secretary to liase with business interests in Ennis, as Clare should consider the Croke Park request.

Book on broadcasters
CLARE native PP Guthrie is currently researching a book on GAA broadcasters and a request for financial aid to the tune of €100 was granted by the May meeting of the board.

In proposing this, county secretary Pat Fitzgerald informed the delegates that the Kilnaboy native “brought Féile to Clare in 1987 and ’88”.

Puck Fada winners
THE winners of last week’s Clare Puck Fada competition, Andrew Fahy from Whitegate (senior) and Páraic McNamara, Kilmaley (U-16), were presented with their prizes at the meeting.

The presentations were made by David Solon, chairman of the host club, Whitegate.

Appointed to hearings committee
WOLFE Tones member John Morris was, last week, appointed to the County Hearings Committee (CHC).

Employment support group
AN employment support group has been set up by Clare GAA.

The members of the committee are Michael O’Neill (Ballyea and former board chairman), Amanda Hogan (Wolfe Tones), Niomh Madigan (Bord na nÓg Peil secretary), Joe Cooney (board vice-chairman), Michael Lee (Tubber) and Pat Collins (Banner GAA).

“They have met. If somebody is going away, they will have a letter for them with details of secretaries etc, whether it is Australia, Canada or whereever or if they need help with a CV or with a recruitment agency. They have an open book,” the chairman said.

Banner’s five-year plan
BANNER GAA Club representative Pat Collins outlined details of a five-year strategic plan launched recently by the club. He offered to meet with any club who are planning to produce such a plan.

Suggesting that club representatives meet with the Ennis club on this matter, Michael McDonagh said “they have come a long way since the break-up of the urban board”.

Referring to the board’s development plan, he told the delegates, “it is ready to go to the printers and if we don’t have details for the June meeting, we will definitely have them for the following meeting”.

Goode can assist Doonbeg
NEWMARKET hurler Ronan Goode has been given permission to play football with Doonbeg.

His request had been deferred from the April board meeting but last Thursday, the board chairman told delegates it was “the recommendation of the executive that he can play with Doonbeg. The new bylaws are not in operation yet and we are operating under the old bylaw”.

St Joseph’s delegate Pat Frawley, who had raised questions at earlier board meetings as to the legality of some requests, told the meeting he had “no objection to players going, provided they are legal. I say that as a member of a club that has benefitted from the assistance of isolated players. Joe Considine was of major assistance to our club.”

Coaching news
CLARE GAA coaching officer Eamonn Fennessy and games development manager Sean Chaplin presented a detailed report on the workings of their committee this season.

Fennessy outlined the make-up of the coaching and games committee, which includes Martin Reynolds, John Smith (chairmen of Bord na nÓg hurling and football respectively), Sean O’Halloran (development squads), John Enright, Fergal Gray, Eamonn Keane, Donal Ó hAinifein (primary schools), Sean Chambers (West Clare Board), Peter Casey, John Fawl, Bernard Keane, Ronan Keane, Josie Nevin and PJ McGuane. A representative from camogie, ladies football and handball will be added to the committee shortly.

Sean Chaplin explained that 16 foundation courses were held to date this year. In addition, there were three award one courses, one each for hurling, football and dual. He also pointed out that 13 clubs have not returned their audit report to the committee.