*Shane O’Donnell in action for Clare. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
IN UNDER an hour, the agenda of the May meeting of Clare GAA was completed.
Held at Tuesday night in Hotel Woodstock, the monthly meeting of Clare GAA was presented with a a detailed financial report as had been promised at the April meeting.
Other items discussed included the distribution of tickets for Munster championship games at Cusack Park and a progress report on work taking place at a number of the board’s grounds around the county
Financial matters:
Presenting a financial report to this week’s Clare GAA monthly meeting, treasurer Brian Fitzpatrick said “the good news is that on the income side our income total is up on €1.5 million but in essence it’s up €750,000 or thereabouts which is the fundraising income with €700,000 of that from the Win A house in Ennis and the other €50,000 is to do with the Dalcassian patrons programme which was launched last November and there is money coming in on that and there is more to come on that”.
Clooney/Quin clubman Fitzgerald outlined, “Overall the position is that we have a surplus of income over expenditure for the six months under review. In the first six months of the year it’s a heavier time on the expense side. Last year we would have been in a surplus of expenditure over income of €130,000. We tend to spend a lot of money on the preparation of teams in the first six months of the year. Our gate receipts are only €250,000, a quarter of last year’s total. It’s a small amount yet until we cross all the way into September. We will get our national league share out and we have our championships to come.
“Another boost is the Munster final in Ennis which will also add to the gate receipts this year. When you look at on a six months basis its lower that it will be for a full year. Last year we turned over a profit of about €270,000 in the total year. This year again it could be that. We are trying to spend more money on facilities and maintenance as we can. There are plenty of pitches and facilities that require investment. You can only spend what you generate and that is what we have been doing. The Win A House is hugely positive. The Dalcassian Programme is generating money which has been put to use already in Ballyline”, he told the delegates.
He continued, “we would still like to have more on the income side because the more we can generate, the more we can spend on facilities outside of the teams which is always important”.
Championship draws:
The draws for this season’s senior, intermediate and junior A hurling and football championships will be made on Tuesday night next, May 21 at the offices of the competition sponsors TUS at Bindon Street in Ennis.
The regulations for this season’s competitions were adopted at this Tuesday’s board meeting.
Facilities update:
The dressing rooms at Ballyline have received a major upgrade, Head of Operations Deirdre Murphy told this week’s board meeting.
Work is progressing on the renovation of Clare GAA headquarters at Clareabbey while work is almost complete on the restoration of another of the pitches at Caherlohan.
Board chairman Kieran Keating complimented facilities officer Ambrose Heagney and facilities manager David Hoey and all who helped with the presentation of Cusack Park for fixtures in recent weeks.
“We have three big games there this weekend and we are looking forward to hosting them”, he said when thanking stewards, programme sellers, and the officers for their efforts to date. He also thanked Ruan GAA for loaning their scoreboard for recent games. He went on to wish the under 20 hurlers well on this Friday in the Munster semi-final, the senior footballers in their All-Ireland qualifier on Saturday, the senior hurlers who play Waterford on Sunday in “a massive game” and the minors in the Munster final on Monday.
Where have the tickets gone:
Clonlara delegate Flan Mullane asked for a breakdown of the distribution of stand tickets at Cusack Park for recent games. “We are doing a fundraiser at the minute and we are knocking on doors asking elderly people who cannot stand at matches for support. They are asking us for a stand ticket and we cannot give them that because we haven’t got them. We got two stand and two sideline tickets for the Limerick game. Where are the 3,000 seated tickets going”, he asked.
According to board chairman Kieran Keating “what we get we distribute to our players, management, clubs, sponsors and that’s it”.
Replying Deirdre Murphy said, “we got 368 stand tickets for the Waterford game and 369 for the Limerick game. We gave two stand tickets to each club and we give some to the players and to sponsors. Munster take tickets for their sponsors and for officials and for other counties”.
Ballyea’s Fiona Whelan asked why they got two stand and four sideline tickets for the Limerick game while they got just two stand and two sideline tickets for the Waterford game.
Replying that she would check how that happened, Deirdre Murphy told the meeting that she expected Clare would get an additional allocation of sideline tickets later this week which would be made available to the clubs.
Cratloe chairman Kevin Browne observed that “the small availability of seating is an issue” and he wondered if more seating could be provided.
Board chairman Kieran Keating said “85% of people attending games at Cusack Park will be standing and that was the main reason why we didn’t go for a double header this week. There won’t be too many days where people will want a seat at the venue that they won’t be able to get one”.
Noel Walsh cup:
Replying to a question from Kildysart delegate John Meade as to why there wasn’t a formal launch of the Noel Walsh memorial cup in Clare like there had been a launch of the John Doyle cup in Tipperary, chairman Kieran Keating said “John Doyle’s club wanted a launch. Carl Walsh (Noel’s son) will be home from Australia later this summer and he was anxious that we wouldn’t have a launch in Clare until he is home”.
Season ticket:
Clare GAA will again be offering a season ticket for sale to patrons for this year’s club championship schedule. Replying to Anthony O’Halloran, St. Josephs, head of Operations Deirdre Murphy that the tickets will be available shortly.
Scór:
Irish officer Joe Garry reported on the recent Scór na bPáisti competitions telling delegates that 40 clubs had competed including some representing camogie and ladies football
Sympathy:
Sympathy was extended to the following at the May meeting of Clare GAA on Tuesday night at Hotel Woodstock. Newmarket-on-Fergus’ Seanie McMahon supported by Fiona Whelan, Ballyea and Neville O’Halloran Clarecastle proposed a vote of sympathy to the Commane family Ballyea, Clarecastle and Newmarket-on-Fergus on the passing of Gerry who played hurling with all three clubs during a long career; to the Casey and O’Brien families, Ruan; to the Reynolds family Clarecastle; the Coughlan family Kilmurry Ibrickane and the Cleary family St Joseph’s Miltown; to the family of Joe Hester, Clondegad; to the Henchy family Scariff; the Reddan and Chaplin families Sixmilebridge; to the family of Joe O’Keeffe, Broadford and to the Moran family Lissycasey.
