*Clare GAA Chairman, Kieran Keating. Photograph: Natasha Barton
12,000 tickets must be sold in the next twelve weeks for Clare GAA to hit their target for the Win A House fundraiser.
Clare GAA’s October meeting took place on Tuesday night at Hotel Woodstock and it proved to be one of the shortest of the monthly meetings in 2023.
At the outset, chairman Kieran Keating apologised for the absence of a number of officers including Head of Operations Deirdre Murphy (illness), secretary Deirdre Chaplin (holidays), referees administrator Seanie McMahon (attending a Munster referee’s meeting in Mallow) and vice chairman Michael O’Connor (work).
The November meeting will be held on November 14 and the chairman told those present that consideration will be given to holding this meeting “in the West”.
Clare must sell 12,000 tickets in 12 weeks:
Clare GAA must sell 12,000 tickets in twelve weeks for their win a house in Ennis fundraiser if they are to meet their target.
Addressing the meeting, chairman Kieran Keating said that sales to date are at 3,500 and the target is 15,000. He confirmed that the County Board is paying Facebook €400 per day to promote the draw to get twenty or thirty tickets a day which we have to do to sell tickets. He outlined a scheme whereby clubs who sell a set amount of tickets will be eligible for three different draws that can raise €5,000.
He reported that “one man in Chicago has already sold 100 tickets and the rest of us have sold 300 tickets between us all, What does that say about us as fundraisers, as club activists, as Clare GAA members if that’s all we can do here. We have to buck up and clubs have to start doing it. The club have to find the people to buy the tickets. If we don’t do it, it will be an opportunity lost. We don’t want to be going with another draw next year to make up the loss. This is the one. Let’s do it and make a quarter of a million for the clubs and three quarters of a million, finish with Caherlohan and be done with it. It’s an easy sell but you have to ask people to buy”
“Any club in the county should be able to sell fifty tickets offline”, the chairman added. “There are a lot of people in our community that would buy a ticket but they haven’t been asked. We have brought in a few incentives for clubs”.
Treasurer Brian Fitzgerald wondered “why can’t Clare drive on for this”.
Irish matters:
Munster GAA created a new position recently and the appointed official Aedín Ní Bhriain addressed this week’s Clare meeting.
The position was created with assistance from funding from Foras na Gaeilge and Ms Ní Bhriain outlined the aim of promoting the Irish language.
Feedback for hurling review group:
Addressing the meeting Padraig Boland, chairman of the hurling review group which has recently presented a report to the clubs of the county, said they had received “very positive feedback”.
“There have been a few queries and, as a result, we have made a few adjustments which will be sent to the club,” the Broadford clubman added.
The report will be discussed in more detail at the upcoming structures meeting which is set for October 23rd.
U21 regulations:
The regulations for the upcoming under 21 hurling and football championships were sent to the clubs during the week and these were adopted without opposition at the October meeting.
The hurling gets underway this week with the football set for the following weekend and it’s expected to have all completed by the beginning of December.
A huge response for Scór:
Thirty four clubs competed in Scór competitions in Clare this year, Irish officer Joe Garry told this week’s board meeting. The Clare competitions concluded on Monday night with the quiz final which resulted in victory for the Éire Óg club and the county winners will now go forward to compete in Munster.
Head of Facilities:
Former Clare hurler David Hoey from the St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield club has been appointed head of facilities for Clare GAA.
Chairman Kieran Keating made the announcement at this week’s board meeting and said David will take up his position on November 1st.
Big numbers at Cúl Camps:
A total of 5,350 children attended this year’s Cúl camps, coaching and games officer Neil O’Brien told this week’s board meeting.
The highest number at a camp was 280 while the smallest came had 28 in attendance. A total of 140 coaches were involved.
A total of 900 underage games have been played to date this year and with under 14 and under 16 still to be completed, the number will go to 950.
He thanked the teachers at Clarecastle national school for running the primary schools games for the past three years and he wished Ballyea well as they take on the role for the coming year.
Munster Grants:
Munster council delegate Bernard Keane told the meeting that requests for grants from twenty one clubs and four schools in the county have been forwarded to Munster Council and decisions on these will be made shortly.
The format for the 2024 Munster football championship will be confirmed at a meeting of the council on Thursday of next week. Heretofore the finalists from the previous season get byes to the semi-finals and he expressed confidence that this will again be the case for the coming year.
Bodyke as venue questioned:
Sixmilebridge delegate P.J. Fitzpatrick asked why last weekend’s junior A hurling championship semi-final between his club and Broadford was played at Bodyke when “there were three more suitable venues available” and he named them as Tulla, Clonlara and Meelick.
Replying chairman Kieran Keating said, “we have to be fair to all pitch and not hammer them given weather conditions”.
Better than any band:
Feakle delegate Mike Daly told delegates present that “the rendering of our national anthem on Sunday” by the board’s PRO, Anne Hayes “was better than any band would do”.
“Fair play to Anne, she sorted us”, commented chairman Kieran Keating to which Daly replied “It’s sorted now”.
Sympathy:
At this week’s meeting of Clare GAA sympathy was extended to the Mescall family, Kilnamona, the O’Donoghue family Ruan, the Purcell family Barefield, the Dillon family, Crusheen, the McInerney family Kilnamona on their recent bereavements.
Borrowing sanctioned:
Permission was granted to Lissycasey GAA to apply to the Credit Union for a short term loan of €60,000 for works at their second pitch in Frure.
