GAA management teams ratified

Having jointly managed the Clare U-21 hurlers to the last three Munster and All-Ireland titles, Donal Moloney takes on the role on his own for the next two seasons.

Following the decision of Gerry O’Connor to step down from being joint manager due to his work commitments, Moloney was unanimously ratified for the role at this week’s meeting of the county board.

Board chairman Michael McDonagh told the delegates that Moloney “has his team in place and they will be announced at the next meeting”. It is reported that Sean McMahon (St. Josephs), Cyril Lyons (Ruan) and Peter Casey, who is a games development officer with the county board, will be part of that team.

Lyons was a member of the management team that led Clare to the Munster and All-Ireland U-21 titles for the first time in 2009.

Kenny Morrissey (Clarecastle) will manage the minor hurlers for the next two years and his management team includes Eamonn Fennessy, who is the outgoing manager, Martin Duggan and Alan Markham.

Neil Hawes, Michael O’Shea and Martin Brennan will take charge of theU-21 footballers for whom Donal Ó h-Ainifein will act as team secretary.

Kieran Kelleher will manage the minor footballers and his backroom team includes Mark Raftery, Paul Hickey and Ger Quinlan.

Clooney-Quin delegate John Condon asked “what criteria was used when selecting the minor hurling management team. They were there for the last three years and roles are just reversed. In that time they played twelve games and lost seven. Of the five that were won, one was against Kerry and one against Down. Are we being best served by not looking for a change?”.

“They have brought through a lot of players including one from my own club (Miltown). I have had discussions with them and this is my proposal”, board chairman Michael McDonagh replied.

Miltown delegate Noel Walsh wondered if there  could be “one or two more experienced people included in these management teams” before mentioning the names of Noel Roche, Aidan Moloney, Dermot Coughlan and Seamus Clancy.

“I have talked to a fair few of those people a few times”, replied chairman McDonagh before adding “the door is always open”.

John Condon asked that the election of each management team be dealt with separately but chairman McDonagh said no ans asked for a proposal for all four managements which came from Cooraclare’s P. J. McGuane and was seconded by Bord na nÓg hurling chairman, Martin Reynolds.

“I don’t know where the Clooney-Quin delegate is coming from. The minor hurling management is doing great work”, said Clarecastle delegate Bernard Hanrahan. He proposed that they be given a three year term.

Chairman McDonagh disagreed with this and said that having met with the committees in question, two year terms had been agreed.

Meanwhile, the meeting gave a tentative go ahead to plans for a €2.3 million re-vamp for Cusack Park which will see a new roof in the main stand, new seating, new press facilities, a new toilet block, new turnstiles and a new entrance from the Abbey Street end, beside the Cloister Restaurant.

Having heard the board’s audit committee chairman Michael Curtin indicate that clubs will have to contribute towards the costs, a number of delegates wanted an indication of how much would be involved before going back to their clubs.

Board chairman Michael McDonagh proposed that a further meeting will be called in the coming weeks to which each club will be asked to send their chairman, secretary, treasurer and county board delegate. At this meeting he expects that officials will be in a position to give details of how much clubs will be  expected to contribute towards the project.