Joe Cooney joins the top table

JOE Cooney from O’Callaghan’s Mills is the new vice-chairman of Clare GAA. In a three-way contest for the post, he emerged victorious on the second count.
Chairman of his club for the past four years, he stepped down from that position at the recent annual meeting of the club. He defeated PJ McGuane (Cooraclare) and Oliver Hanrahan (Éire Óg) for the position.
After the first vote, Cooney and McGuane were level with 69 votes each. Hanrahan, who received 22 votes, was eliminated and delegates were then asked to vote for Cooney or McGuane.
The second vote saw Cooney, a Fine Gael councillor, emerge victorious on a count of 80 votes to 75.
Thanking the delegates, Cooney said he was “a committed GAA man” all of his life.
PJ McGuane told the meeting he was a dedicated club and parish man. He said, “There were no recriminations or rancour and I hope this is the way forward.”
“We have a generation of young married couples who never saw a poor day. They are going to have to tighten the belts and give the leadership to their children and the only way they can do that is by getting involved in their local clubs. We have parents in this county who are taking their children from West Clare down to Limerick to train for rugby but if you ask those same parents to come to the pitch and do something with an underage team, they wouldn’t have the time but they would use us as a babysitting facility. The GAA has a serious role to play. It’s the strongest organisation in every parish in this county. The pride is gone out of some of us GAA people. The pride with which some of us hold our own parish is something I will carry to my grave,” he said after congratulating Cooney.
“We have to adjust to where we are, Croke Park has to adjust and the GPA has to adjust,” he added. He then sounded a warning to those who want to get rid of the provincial championships. He reminded the clubs that the Munster council grant aids the clubs of the province each year, something which does not happen in the other provinces he said.
Éire Óg’s Oliver Hanrahan also paid tribute to the other two candidates in the race for the position of vice-chairman.
Gerry Lynch from Tulla is the new board assistant treasurer. He was unopposed for the position after the only other nominee, Mike Clancy from Newmarket, withdrew. Lynch stepped down from the position of treasurer of Bord na nÓg Iomaint last week. He takes over from PJ Kelly who had completed his five-year term in the position.

The following is the executive of Clare GAA for 2011: president: John Hanly, Clarecastle; chairman: Michael O’Neill, Ballyea; vice-chairman: Joe Cooney, O’Callaghan’s Mills; secretary: Pat Fitzgerald, Sixmilebridge; assistant secretary: Des Crowe, Ruan; treasurer: Bernard Keane, St Joseph’s; assistant treasurer: Gerry Lynch, Tulla; youth officer: Sandra Reynolds, Clooney-Quin; public relations officer: Syl O’Connor, Sixmilebridge; Irish and culture officer: Tom Burke, Corofin; development officer: John Fawl, Ennistymon; coaching officer: Eamonn Fennessy, Sixmilebridge; Munster Council delegates: John O’Sullivan, Ruan and Tom Downes, Kilmihil; Central Council delegate: Ger Hickey, Feakle; congress delegates: Tom Downes, Noel Walsh (Miltown) Robert Frost (O’Callaghan’s Mills) Joe Kelly, (Wolfe Tones) and Bernard Keane; Munster convention delegates: Gabriel Keating (Naomh Eoin) John Morris (Wolfe Tones) PJ McGuane (Cooraclare) Bernard Keane.