‘A time of change for Clare GAA’ provided equal measures of excitement and trepidation amongst delegates at the July County Board meeting in Caherlohan, Tulla this week.

With outgoing full-time secretary Pat Fitzgerald opting to sidestep the ‘fuss’ and fanfare of his final county board meeting following his departure after 32 consecutive years, a new chapter for Clare GAA has consequently been accelerated much faster than originally anticipated.

Based upon the Saffron & Blue Strategic Plan, a full-time COO (Chief Operating Officer) will supersede Fitzgerald’s role while the complimentary position of secretary will revert to being a voluntary appointment.

With the deadline for applications exhausted last Friday, Clare GAA Chairman Kieran Keating revealed that 16 people have applied for the prestigious post, with the process now in the hands of Croke Park to sift through the eligibility of the candidates and produce a shortlist for interview.

The interview process will be carried out by a committee comprised of two from Croke Park, two members of the Clare GAA executive and one from Munster, with the timeline for a starting date for the successful candidate expected to be in the Autumn.

In the interim, newly appointed Assistant Secretary Deirdre Chaplin (Cratloe) has been temporarily promoted Acting Secretary by the delegates and will therefore be the point of contact for correspondence for the foreseeable future according to Keating who paid tribute to the outgoing Full-Time Secretary along with fellow administrator Eve Watkins who also stepped down from her role in Clareabbey.

“Over the past 32 years service to Clare GAA, Pat has done a stellar amount of work and we’ll notice when he’s gone, the amount of things that Pat was doing that we didn’t even know about. I want to express the county committee’s thanks and appreciation to Pat Fitzgerald for all he has done in his time at the helm of Clare GAA.

“Eve is also leaving and was a very hard worker who was always helpful and diligent. She worked alongside Pat for much longer hours than she was obliged to do so she will be greatly missed as well.

“We hoped that both would be here tonight to receive presentations but they decided not to attend.

“Two long serving employees of Clare GAA have now departed and it’s up to us volunteers to carry the burden of temporarily filling those positions in the weeks and months ahead while we continue our recruitment process.”

Upon request, tributes were paid to Pat Fitzgerald from the floor, with Clondegad PRO Seamus O’Reilly commencing with a comprehensive testimonial of the Sixmilebridge clubman’s achievements over a five decade span as an officer and administrator for the county.

“Through Bord na nÓg, the hurling board and the County Board, Pat Fitzgerald has been at the centre of a golden age for Clare GAA during which in hurling, three All-Ireland and Munster senior, four All-Ireland and Munster Under 21 titles, Munster Minors and a National league were won while in football we won Munster senior football title in 1992, the Tommy Murphy Cup and a National League Division 3 title.

“He was also central to properties being purchased for Clare GAA in Crusheen, Clareabbey and here in the Centre of Excellence in Caherlohan that will stand to us in the future. Now maybe there were some mistakes made along the way but anyone that never made a mistake, never made a decision in the first place.

“Pat was involved in almost every facet of Clare GAA and that’s something that clubs maybe find hard to accept. The full-time officer is the CEO so he/she has to have their hands on all facets, that’s his job.

“I’ve often wondered how he would be remembered? First and foremost, he is a great Gael who devoted his life to the GAA and an officer who immersed himself in the GAA.

“I found him a very modest and unassuming man who did not seek the limelight but equally spoke very frankly.

“It’s sad that he is not here tonight because I feel we let him down at times. I think it will be a major black mark is there isn’t some honour, presentation or some serious recognition given to Pat after fifty years selfless service.

“Ni bheidh a leithéid arís ann [we shall not see his like again]”, O’Reilly concluded.

Further tributes followed from Flan Mullane (Clonlara), Brian Torpey (Tulla) and fellow Sixmilebridge clubman Adrian Hogan.

The immediate uncertainty of the post-Fitzgerald era was particularly troublesome for Ruan delegate John O’Sullivan who warned of a ‘serious insurance situation in the county’ along with Coiste na nÓg Chairman PJ McGuane.

“Do we realise that we have a constitutional crisis?’ asked the Cooraclare delegate.

“We are heading into the busiest time of the year at club level but who is our reference point? If my club has a problem in the morning, who do they ring? And if they ask a series of questions regarding fixtures or timing or the projection of matches going forward, who’s there to answer it.

“With regard to the crisis we’re in, it’s one of our own making. We should have seen this coming.”

In a bid to allow backroom teams to fully prepare along with maintaining their strength and conditioning programmes for panelists in the off-season, Clare GAA have hastened their managerial reappointments, with chairman Kieran Keating confirming that he has been in talks with all six managers (senior, Under 20 and minor in both sides) in recent weeks.

Clare Senior Hurling Manager Brian Lohan was ratified on a three year term in 2021 while on Tuesday evening, outgoing Under 20 Manager Terence Fahy was reappointed on a two year term to be able to put some formal structures in place at the grade.

In football, Dermot Coughlan will lead the Clare minor panel for a fifth season after being validated by delegates, with the remaining inter-county reappointments to be confirmed at the next meeting.

The remaining Junior hurling and football championship draws will take place next week after the county board and clubs finalise the gradings.

With the introduction of several new teams, the structures have been expanded in both codes, with Junior B, Premier Junior C and Junior C Championships for hurling and Premier Junior B and Junior B Championship tiers for adult football.

The Junior B Hurling Championship is expected to have at least 21 teams (Ballyea, Bodyke, Broadford, Clarecastle, Clonlara, Clooney-Quin, Corofin, Éire Óg, Feakle, Inagh-Kilnamona, Kilmaley, Meelick, Newmarket-on-Fergus, O’Callaghan’s Mills, Ruan, Sixmilebridge, Smith O’Brien’s, Tubber, Tulla, Whitegate, Wolfe Tones).

The inaugural Premier Junior C Hurling is anticipated to possess between 8-10 teams (Clooney-Quin, Cratloe, Kilmaley, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Scariff, Sixmilebridge, Smith O’Brien’s, St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield, Tulla) and the Junior C Hurling Championship between 4-6 (Banner, Clonbony, Ennistymon, Kilkee/Bealaha, Killanena, Ogonnelloe).

All Junior championships will be run off on a group stage format before the knock-out stages, with the August Bank Holiday weekend being pencilled in as the starting date for these hurling competitions.

The Junior B Football Championship, which is due to start on the weekend of August 6/7th, is divided into two tiers. The Premier Junior B competition comprising of approximately twelve teams (Clondegad, Cooraclare, Corofin, Éire Óg, Ennistymon, Kildysart, Kilrush Shamrocks, Lissycasey, Michael Cusack’s, St Breckan’s, St Joseph’s Miltown, Wolfe Tones).

The Junior B Championship will involve five or six participants (Banner, Clonbony, Corofin, Moy, Shannon Gaels, St Senan’s Kilkee).