Tag Archives: Liam O’Neill

GAA President Liam O’Neill says he favours having just one player in goals for penalties in hurling, while he also defended the GAA’s deal with Sky. The media rights deal featured at the Clare GAA convention last Thursday, when Éire óg successfully proposed that when the current deal expires, games shown on Sky should also be available for viewing on non subscription channels. “I want penalties taken from 20 metres. I have a preference for one player in goal. When a penalty is given the expectation should be a goal, favouring the attacker,” the GAA President said with reference to the ongoing penalty issue in hurling. Midway through this years championships penalty takers were forced to strike from the penalty line,” he told The Clare Champion. “The hurling 20/20 committee, chaired by Liam Sheedy, will have a definite proposal on that. We had to act on what was happening. We couldn’t have a situation where people were endangered. It was a …

GAA PRESIDENT Liam O’Neill has said young boys need to be treated sensitively, when playing hurling or football, to help ensure that their emotional growth is not stunted as they get older. He was speaking at aweek-long Gaelic Games Made Easy course in Barefield National School for primary school teachers, organised by Peadar McMahon and Joe Garry. “I was talking to the teachers in terms of attempts now being made to help young adults to express their feelings and to avoid people thinking that they’re alone if they have any difficulty. We’re working very closely with the Samaritans, with Pieta House and with any group of who would help in a situation where people find themselves in difficulty,” Mr O’Neill outlined to The Clare Champion after he had addressed the group of more than 30 teachers. “Young boys aren’t taught the language of emotion early enough. When I was a child if you got a belt you were told ‘big …

THE  GAA still has a lot of questions to answer over its deal with Sky Sports for TV rights,   Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Sport Timmy Dooley said this Tuesday. Under the agreement, Sky has been given exclusive rights to 14 games, including two All-Ireland Football quarter finals involving the Leinster and Ulster champions. GAA director general, Paraic Duffy and president, Liam O’Neill appeared before the Oireachtas Transport and Communications Committee earlier today to outline the rationale behind the new broadcasting contract. Deputy Dooley said, “Despite the appearance by Mr Duffy and Mr O’Neill, there are still a lot of questions about the decision to sell off national games to an outside broadcaster.  The association says it has to base its approach on the significant number of fans living abroad, but I would argue it could do that without alienating its fans at home.  The deal with RTE digital will allow fans in the UK and US access to games, while …

By Seamus Hayes CLARE’S Willie Roche took over as president of the GAA Handball, at the organisation’s annual congress in The Inn at Dromoland last weekend. Mr Roche from the Newmarket-on-Fergus club has had a long career in handball, first as a player and then as an administrator. He has fulfilled many roles including, most recently, that of chairman of the Munster Handball Council. He becomes the third Clare official to hold the prestigious post following in the footsteps of Caimin Jones, also Newmarket-on-Fergus, and Michael Boyce. In his address, Mr Roche spoke of his delight at securing the position and reflected on his involvement over a long period in the game. He outlined his plans for the next three years, as he seeks to progress the game at all levels. GAA president, Liam O’Neill, who also addressed delegates, spoke of the huge potential for the game of one wall handball and reiterated his view that he would like to …