O’Neill laments the rise of emigration in the county

CLARE GAA chairman Michael O’Neill said when he addressed the convention for the first time as chairman in December 2007, no one could have envisaged the changes that have taken place in the country since then.
“While it is vitally important not to get bogged down in the negativity which has engulfed us in such a short time, we can’t ignore the detrimental effect that emigration is having on our clubs in particular and to a lesser extent on our county teams. As an organisation, there is only a certain amount we can do to alleviate the genuine hardships our members are facing throughout the country. The GAA has built a massive infrastructure in every town and village thanks to the hard work, every genuine member of the association has put in on the ground and we need this work to continue,” the Ballyea club man said in his address to delegates at the end of his third year in office.
On the question of finance, O’Neill complimented “the prudent way out finances are dealt with”.
“It is getting more difficult to secure finance and we will certainly feel the effects of this more into the future,” he said, before singling out treasurer Bernard Keane and the board’s audit committee under the stewardship of Michael Curtin for special mention.
The staging of Féile na nGael was “a resounding success,” he said.
“It embraces everything that is great about camogie, handball and hurling and it was heartening to see the massive effort that was put in by all who took part. It gave an idea as to where we are at with underage hurling within the county and clubs will have to put in more work. Some clubs did reasonably well and others didn’t. It’s a benchmark as to where we are at the moment.”
With regard to the fixtures and games programme, the chairman said, “While the programme ran fairly smoothly, we still have not achieved a totally satisfactory fixtures programme. With so many dual players, the perfect solution will be difficult to achieve. Our competitions need a review,” he said.
“Our senior teams and management are striving to get back up the pecking order in both hurling and football and patience is needed for this to happen. It is very much a work in progress and will take time and a major effort for this to happen. I hope the mentors and players are given the time that is needed,” he said.
He added that he firmly believes that the talent is in the county to challenge for titles.
“Winning the Munster minor hurling title was a fantastic achievement for the first time in 21 years. Coupled with the U-21 success in 2009, we are heading in the right direction,” he added.
The chairman said “we need a break through in football and for this to happen, every player fortunate to be considered for panels should make themselves available for county action”.
The chairman paid tribute to the various clubs that won championships during the year under review. He also complimented Kilmurry-Ibrickane on reaching the All-Ireland club football final.
He complimented outgoing vice-chairman Johnnie Hill and outgoing assistant treasurer PJ Kelly, both of whom stepped down from office.
He also paid tribute to the outgoing officers of Bord na nÓg for their outstanding service and said that he “has reservations in relation to the five-year rule. All officers going out at the one time is not ideal. We must have continuity,” he said.
O’Neill also congratulated West Clare Gaels on winning the Ladies’ All-Ireland football title and Corofin camogie club on reaching the All-Ireland junior final.
Before concluding, he paid tribute to all who had worked in any capacity for Clare GAA in the past year.
“We must all work together to have a vibrant association,” he concluded.