Favourites’ tag with McDonagh

With just five days to go to the annual convention of Clare GAA, one of the most intensive campaigns for election to the executive is continuing.

Michael McDonagh (Miltown St Joseph’s) and Noel O’Driscoll (O’Callaghan’s Mills) have been travelling the county meeting with club representatives ahead of Tuesday’s vote to elect successor to Michael O’Neill, whose five-year term as chairman ends at convention.
While both have expressed confidence as to the outcome, speculation is that McDonagh will win the race and return as chairman after a lapse of five years.
It’s likely this will be the only contest at convention following Des Crowe’s announcement on Monday that, due to “health and personal issues”, he will not be seeking election as PRO.
This means his long association with the board will end on Tuesday when he steps down as assistant secretary, having also completed the specified five-year term. Prior to that he was the PRO and he also served as board secretary.
This means Bodyke’s Sean O’Halloran, the former chairman of the underage hurling board, will be the new public relations officer, succeeding Syl O’Connor whose five-year term also ends on Tuesday.
Tubber’s Rosaleen Monahan, former secretary of Bord na nÓg Iomaint, will be elected as assistant secretary in succession to Crowe.
The other nominee is Anne Hayes whose term as Bord na nÓg Peil secretary ended two years ago. She has confirmed she will not be seeking election to this position but, instead, will become the new Irish and culture officer, succeeding Tom Burke. The Lissycasey woman is the only nominee for this post.
There are three nominees for the post of vice-chairman but there may not be a contest. They are Michael McDonagh, Martin Reynolds (Bord na nÓg chairman) and the current holder of the post, Joe Cooney from O’Callaghan’s Mills.
If McDonagh wins the contest for the chair, Cooney will be fancied to return as the vice-chairman. However, should O’Driscoll win, Clarecastle’s Reynolds will be the favourite as Cooney, who is from the O’Callaghan’s Mills Club, which is also O’Driscoll’s club, is unlikely to stand.
Gabriel Keating’s name is one of three listed for the two Munster council delegate’s posts but he confirmed this week that he is not a candidate.
“I am seeking election as a delegate to Munster convention and to congress,” he told the Clare Champion.
Outgoing Tom Downes and John O’Sullivan will be returned as delegates to the council. Bernard Keane (treasurer), Gerry Lynch (assistant treasurer), John Fawl (development officer), Eamonn Fennessy (coaching officer) and Ger Hickey (Central Council delegate) will all be returned without opposition.
The board will have a new honorary president for 2013 as Clarecastle’s John Hanley has completed his three-year term. Henry Nealon, Michael Cusack’s, is nominated for the post while it is understood Cooraclare’s Tadhg Murphy is also nominated.