Frost becomes seventh Clare Munster Council chairman

Robert Frost from O’Callaghan’s Mills became the seventh Clare chairman of the Munster Council when he was unanimously elected to the position last Friday night.

The Bunratty Hotel was the venue for the provincial convention and amongst the attendance to witness the Clareman’s election were a big group of his fellow O’Callaghan’s Mills members. They were joined by members of a number of Clare clubs while officers from Clare GAA were also there in force.

Fr Hary Bohan celebrated mass for the delegates prior to convention and he spoke about the importance of the club “particularly at a time when garda stations and post offices are closing down in many communities”.

It was a theme also taken up by Mr Frost, who said that he would be making the survival of clubs a priority during his three-year term. “GAA clubs are coming under increasing pressure to survive. They are struggling financially or in terms of playing numbers, while some small rural clubs are in danger of going out of existence,” he said.

He also promised to appoint a high-powered committee to tackle this issue and to help county boards. “The local club is an intrinsic part of community lift and it is imperative we, as a governing body in the province, do all we can to safeguard rural clubs.

Delegates to Friday’s convention were welcomed by Clare chairman Michael McDonagh and when the meeting got underway, former Clare chairman Michael O’Neill proposed and John O’Sullivan seconded that Mr Frost be elected as the chairman.

The new chairman served as secretary and treasurer of his club before  going on to represent them at county board level. He was chairman of the Clare Hurling Board in the mid-1980s and went on to be vice-chairman of the county board  before being elected county board chairman in 1995, a position he held for five years.

He became a delegate to the council for Clare before being elected vice-chairman three years ago.

The first Clare chairman of the council was John Michael Malone from Ennis, who was elected in 1913 and served just one year. He was replaced by Gerry O’Brien from Ogonnelloe, who served for 11 years until 1929. Lisdoonvarna’s Seamus Gardiner became chairman in 1940 but he stepped down in 1943 when he was elected president of the association. He was replaced by Monsignor Hamilton. The late Brendan Vaughan became the provincial chairman in 1977, while Noel Walsh was chairman in the mid-1990s.

Speaking this week, Mr Frost said he is looking forward to his term as chairman. “I was thrilled to present the Waterford Crystal Trophy to my fellow clubman, Pat Donnellan, after Clare’s victory in the final on Saturday,” he concluded.