NOMINATIONS for the position of Clare senior hurling manager will close on Friday, September 23 after which a committee, headed by the board chairman, will meet with those nominated before offering a recommendation to delegates. The nominations have to be submitted to the board chairman in writing and delivered to Clare GAA headquarters at Clareabbey.

The names of those to sit on the special committee with the chairman will be presented to the next board meeting for ratification.
At the outset of last Thursday’s meeting, a letter from the St Joseph’s Club was read suggesting that “independently of the Clare County Board, a select group of people be chosen to meet with and interview potential candidates who express an interest with becoming involved in the senior squad over the next two to three years”.
“This group should consist of three to four ex-inter-county players, who would then relate their findings and opinions back to the county board within a specified period of time. This group should also be given latitude to contact and interview people outside the county if they so wish. The basis of this proposal is to bring together a group of people who possess a variety of skills and strengths in different aspects of management thus enabling them to make extremely informed recommendations on the back of their findings.”
The letter continued, “We feel it is imperative to point out that there is no agenda in drafting these suggestions and that we do so merely in the greater interests of Clare hurling. There is a lot of young talent currently coming through the system and whilst they have great potential, it requires a lot of nurturing to bring them to the level of the top counties.”
The letter had been submitted for the July meeting of the board but there wasn’t one in the interim.
“We would concur with that and that’s taken on board in the proposal I have put,” chairman Michael O’Neill responded.
Doonbeg, through delegate Michael Neenan, wanted the position filled at last Thursday’s meeting. “I am a bit weary of select committees because personality clashes come into it. The delegates are sensible people and they should be in a position to put in place a manager for hurling and football. We don’t want to go down the road we have gone previously, resulting in a media circus and it has backfired on us. Clare hurling, in particular, has suffered in the last few years. It wasn’t handled well both from this side and from the top table. There are five or six counties at the moment without managers and I wonder why. We have two of the best managers outside our county for the last three or four years. Limerick are without a manager, Wexford, Offaly and Galway could be. We are without a manager. The previous management did a good job with a young team. There is a bright future with the U-21 and the minors. I don’t want personalities to come it to it. We should pick the best man for the job. There is a manager that has vacated a position outside the county and I propose that he bring the best with him to manage the county team. I propose David Fitzgerald will be that man. Going away and setting up a committee and coming back and shouting and roaring, we have to stop that. We have a man fully committed to this county that will take us forward if he gets the backing but he has to get the full backing of this group tonight,” according to Neenan.
“To be fair to Davy or anybody else that might be interested in the position and I haven’t spoken to him or anybody else on the matter, I am taking no proposals on anybody tonight. Clubs have not been mandated coming in here tonight,” replied the chairman.
He also spoke on why the meeting was brought forward. “It has nothing to do with senior management. It has nothing to do with me going on holidays, which I am not. I will be out of the country for a few days on the week after next for different reasons but that is my business and I don’t like my private life to be brought up in a different forum.
“It’s time to get rid of any agendas in relation to hurling or football. We were accused the last time of doing it too fast. We are not in a major hurry and if we have a manager in place for hurling and football by October, we will be doing well. We should do it in a structured way and that’s the way I am proposing,” the chairman added.
Supporting the chairman’s proposal, Newmarket delegate Michael Clancy said it was the right way to go. “Regarding Clare senior hurling from 1932 to 1998, we have four Munster and two All-Ireland titles. From 1999 to 2011, a duck egg. The U-21 and minor teams have produced the nucleus for a team capable of delivering. A support team is critical for the new manager who should be in place by October 20.”
His comments met with strong criticism from Clare intermediate hurling selector Niall Romer.
“My comments were about senior hurling and nothing else and my reference to the U-21s and minors was that they have produced the nucleus of a team capable of delivering honours at senior level,” replied Clancy.
Tubber’s Michael Lee agreed “It is important that the clubs get an opportunity to discuss this. It’s a serious topic,” he said.
Killanena’s Colman Houlihan and Clonlara’s Michael Hogan both suggested the timeframe be much shorter. “We should be back here next Tuesday with a nomination,” suggested Houlihan after reminding delegates that Galway are also looking for a manager.
“It’s important that we would not be dictated to by outside sources,” replied the chairman, who, along with Clarecastle delegate Bernard Hanrahan, paid tribute to outgoing manager Ger O’Loughlin. “He has done tremendous work,” said Hanrahan while O’Neill added “my preference would be for him to have continued for another year”.
Tulla’s Michael O’Halloran accused the chairman of “taking control away from the delegates” after the chairman confirmed he would be the chairman of the committee, which he will nominate.
O’Neill disagreed, pointing out, “The final decision rests with this board”.
In answer to the Tulla delegate, O’Neill said he envisaged there would be at least five people on the special committee. “Nobody is ruled in or out,” he added, adding he didn’t have a problem with one of the committee being elected by the meeting.
On the proposition of Jack Chaplin (Cratloe), seconded by Mike Clancy (Newmarket), the chairman’s proposal was carried.

Change in football personnel sought

CLONDEGAD GAA Club want a change in the Clare senior football management personnel for the coming season.
Seamus O’Reilly told last week’s board meeting, “We have gone backwards and we require a change. We are not going forward. There are several examples of indiscipline and change is required,” he said in response to chairman Michael O’Neill’s comments that Micheál McDermott will confirm to the board by the next meeting if he is prepared to continue.
Naomh Eoin’s Gabriel Keating told the meeting that being in Division 4 for the past two years is not good enough. “Division 4 is not where Clare should be. In the ’90s we won a Munster championship.” He suggested a committee be set up to examine the situation. “I have nothing against the present management but maybe it’s time for change. If we get change, we might get a new impetus,” he said.
“The most important thing is to get everyone playing. The best players are not playing and the question is how do you get them playing. That’s the one million dollar question,” said Kilmurry-Ibrickane’s secretary Michael Considine.
“It’s very disappointing that some players are turning their backs on the county,” commented Kildysart chairman John Meade.
“Division 4 isn’t a reflection of the standard of club football in Clare and this is obvious when clubs go to Munster. We need to get the best players in Clare playing for Clare,” Lissycasey’s Eamonn Finnucane added.
Clondegad’s delegate then asked if the present manager says he is interested in another term, is he automatically reappointed, to which the board chairman responded, “The clubs will have the final say and all county team managers are ratified here”.

Hurling League format
THE format decided on for next season’s hurling league wasn’t the one favoured by Clare, Ger Hickey reported to the September meeting. There were three options on the table, one for groups of eight and two for groups of six. At the outset, the group eight option was put against the other two and lost on a 16 to 28 vote. In the next vote between the options with groups of six, one of which allowed for quarter-finals, the vote was 26 to 16. “I wasn’t happy with the decision and most of the strong hurling counties were against it,” he told the meeting.

Inter-provincial champs in 2012
THE inter-provincial championships (Railway Cup competitions) will be staged in 2012 and the Competitions Control Committee of the association (CCCC) will be organising the games. Any submissions as to where or when the competitions will take place should be made to Clare’s Central Council delegate, Ger Hickey told the meeting when presenting a report from the recent meeting.

Collins reappointed
CRATLOE football mentor Colm Collins was unanimously reappointed as the Clare U-21 football manager. “He will appoint his own selectors,” O’Neill told the meeting.

Secondary county grounds
MILTOWN St Joseph’s GAA Club again raised the issue of the secondary county grounds when delegates gathered for the September meeting.
Noel Walsh told the meeting that, unofficially, “We have been told that Hennessy Park has been chosen but we don’t understand why there has been no announcement. It there isn’t an announcement, we will be forced to take it to a higher authority,” he warned.
Cooraclare’s PJ McGuane reminded the delegates that back in July 2009, his club wrote to the board seeking to have their status of secondary county grounds reaffirmed. “There is a set criteria and my club ticks all the boxes. In the past, we have availed of the 10% extra grant available for this status.  I have not contacted anyone since the day I showed John Ryan and Tom Carroll around our grounds,” he said before reminding all present that the decision with regard to secondary county grounds “belongs to this committee”.
“Up to recently, secondary county grounds would have carried such a status of additional grants but that is all gone and that funding is no longer available.”
Pat Fitzgerald told the meeting that approval of two such grounds is not forthcoming. “We have been hoping that we would get two as there are defined hurling and football areas and that is one of the reasons why this has been deferred until now,” he said.
“We are still hoping there will be two,” added Michael O’Neill stating there will be an official announcement at the October meeting.

Minor management
IN response to a query from Wolfe Tones’ delegate Joe Kelly, Clare GAA chairman Michael O’Neill said, “We are presently arranging discussions with the outgoing managements”.

Jubilee teams
CLARECASTLE and Cooraclare, the respective Clare senior hurling and football champions in 1986, are the teams to be honoured on county final day in October.
Kilmurry-Ibrickane’s Martin Hanrahan, a member of the committee which organises this event, reported he had spoken with both captains, Anthony Scanlan from Clarecastle and Martin Tubridy (Cooraclare) and they are setting the wheels in motion.
Treasurer Bernard Keane asked if there was any potential sponsor for this venture. “It’s something we want to continue but it’s turning out to be quite expensive,” he said.

Banner v Éire Óg
BANNER GAA Club had a letter before the meeting asking why one of their players, Conor Brennan, had been allowed transfer, at a meeting of Bord na nÓg Iomaint to neighbouring Éire Óg in July.
In the letter, secretary Owen Rynne explained the club had received a request from Conor in June. “I informed him that all transfer and isolated player requests had ended for 2011. I advised him to contact the secretary of Bord na nÓg Iomaint to get an explanation of the rules as they are the only authority that can grant or refuse transfers. The granting of this transfer was clearly outside the March 31 deadline.”
Secretary Pat Fitzgerald said he had spoken with officials of Bord na nÓg and his information was that this was not a transfer but that he was allowed to play with Éire Óg for this season. “He is a Banner player,” the secretary said.
“If this keeps happening, we will never have a minor team,” Banner secretary Owen Rynne replied. Banner chairman John Dingley said “we felt he was playing illegally” before adding that they would have to report back to their committee with the information.

Meetings – not enough or too many
ST Joseph’s delegate Pat Frawley asked why there had been no meeting since June. “We haven’t had meetings in August for a while and that’s ok but we had no July meeting either this year.”
“Do the bylaws state that we should have a monthly meeting?” asked Miltown’s Noel Walsh.
“I didn’t realise that we didn’t have a monthly meeting in July but we have had meetings to deal with fixtures. I didn’t have any request to have meetings,” said chairman Michael O’Neill.
Crusheen delegate Tony O’Donnell said, “we have too many meetings”.