GAA taken for granted – camogie chairperson

THE worth of camogie, ladies’ football and the GAA are completely taken for granted, according to Clare camogie chairperson Orla Considine, who said this should not be the case.
“When the parish or county community needs anything done, the GAA has built the framework for any new development. When families need help when a crisis or tragedy happens, it is this network of people that are called on and come without call to help in all situations. It is the GAA people of this country that keep our economy ticking over,” she said in her address to delegates attending the annual convention of Clare camogie at the Auburn Lodge Hotel on Monday night.
“Next year, the football people of this county will head to Poland with the money that they are already saving for their trip. The rugby people were in New Zealand in this past year, having saved for months to make it possible. Where do the GAA people go – to the club and county grounds and, if lucky enough, to Croke Park. We spend our money at home in our own towns and cities with hardly time for a holiday. The value of this should and must be recognised,” Orla said.
“We strive to build communities and links between communities and counties. We do not give out payment or expenses. We will, in 2012, try to develop our field to have it ready for the end of the year to host an international shinty game with our Scottish counterparts, to bring in visiting clubs and supporters to build a festival weekend that our game deserves. Now all we ask is that we get some support with this, as this will have long-term benefits to our game and our county, which will help keep us all going.
“John Delaney says the FAI is the biggest game in the country, bigger than the GAA or IRFU, but they are a professional game with profits going out of this country while many of their domestic clubs struggle. Gaelic games are the biggest female games in the country and we in Clare aim to have camogie at the top,” she added.
According to Orla, “The AGM is a time for reflection. We look back at the season just gone and take stock of where we are at and look to keep improving and driving our game on. We will never claim to have things perfect but we will work as hard as we can to help and support the girls and clubs of our games. We look into the 2012 season with all the same hopes, eagerness and difficulties that face us at this time every year.”
According to Orla, the level of work and co-operation between the clubs and county board has never been greater. “We aim to help you at club level but always strive to ensure that everyone at club level is aware that you are the county board, we work for you and we delight in your achievements. This level of work will and must continue to improve because when we do this, we will achieve together.”
Orla said there has been a lot of work over the last number of years on the development of a pitch for Clare camogie and she said work is coming to an end, as the January meeting of Clare County Council should see the stamp being put to the agreement on the lease.
“This is a huge step for Clare camogie,” she said. “We will eventually provide a home for the girls of the county. We are a sister game to hurling but not under the same umbrella. We do not get the centralised funding they get and we do not, within ourselves, generate the funding that is needed for capital spending. This makes any development for us difficult, as many think that the GAA should fund us. As a result, it is difficult to get centralised funding and for our county ground we must argue the case that we are a community.
“We are in the process of trying to apply for funding from centralised sources. This funding is there for communities but we have never received this. It is more important than ever that the girls and female community of this county get the recognition it deserves for the countless hours of work it does for the common good of the population.”
Orla paid tribute to Inagh for their All-Ireland junior title win, John Dolan for being appointed to referee the All-Ireland intermediate final and Killanena for their success at Féile. She also paid tribute to all who had worked for the promotion of camogie during the past year.

Orla to step down at end of 2012
ON her unanimous re-appointment as chairperson of Clare camogie for a fourth term, Orla Considine told delegates this will be her final year in the position.
Later, treasurer Michael Maher told the meeting he had intended stepping down at this meeting but said, “The coming year is a big one for Clare camogie when we will have the opening of our own field.
“There is a huge amount of work to be done before the opening in October when we will have a number of teams from Scotland for shinty matches.”
He told the meeting the work being put in by the officers of the board is unrivalled. “Some day camogie will be treated like other sports,” he said.
There is a vacancy on the executive for a vice-chairperson after Bríd Canny from Feakle stepped down. The board has a new assistant treasurer, after Michelle Mahon from Éire Óg was unanimously elected to the position.
There is also a vacancy for a delegate to Munster Council. Bridie O’Looney (Newmarket) filled the position last year but she is now an officer of the Munster Council. Mary Hogan (Tulla) was returned as the other delegate to the provincial body.
The following were elected for 2012: honorary presidents, Michael O’Halloran, Corofin and Kitty McNicholas, Éire Óg; chairperson, Orla Considine, Clooney-Quin; vice-chair, to be filled; secretary, Marie Louise Kaiser, Newmarket; assistant secretary, Mary Hogan, Tulla; treasurer, Michael Maher, Kilmaley; assistant treasurer, Michelle Mahon, Éire Óg; PRO, Bríd McNamara, Ruan; registrar, Marie McDonnell, Clarecastle; child officer, Bridie O’Looney, Newmarket; Munster delegates, Mary Hogan, Tulla and one to be elected; delegates to congress, Mary Hogan and Bridie O’Looney and two more to be elected; substance abuse officer, Eileen Gleeson, Truagh-Clonlara; development officer, Pauline McNamara, Killanena.
Fixtures committee: Bríd McNamara, Mary Griffey, Keevah White, Pat Minogue, Kieran O’Shea, Bríd Canny, Paul Collins, Caroline Moloney and the chairperson and secretary; finance committee: Michael Maher, Bríd McNamara, Marie McDonnell, Siobhán Lafferty and Michelle Mahon; field and development: Michael Maher and Orla Considine; transfers-hearings-disciplinary committee: Kathleen McNamara, Mary Hogan, Mary McMahon, Christina Solon, Joe Robbins, Mary Griffey, Paul Collins and Caroline Moloney; referees committee: Mary Hogan, Mary Griffey, Bríd McNamara, Seanie McMahon and county secretary.

Financial matters
CLARE camogie’s expenditure for 2011 exceeded income by €967.42, treasurer Michael Maher told delegates attending the meeting.
The Kilmaley man, who was unanimously re-appointed, reported that income for the year under review amounted to €68,267, while expenditure came to €69,234.42. Gates accounted for €25,287.00, while registration and affiliations brought in €13,600.
The main items in expenditure were Munster Council Affiliation, which came to €7,155.00, food for teams after matches, which cost €8,007.59 and bus travel, which cost €9,405.00.
The treasurer paid a special tribute to the supporters club, who paid the board’s physio costs. Supporters club chairman Stephen Powell reported the receipts from the recent dog night amounted to €6,440, while the flag day at the county final brought in €1,200.