*Dan Keating and Kilmihil will form part of a new amalgamation in the Clare SFC. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
Representatives of a number of dual clubs were loud in their criticism of the fixtures schedule agreed for underage games for the 2023 season when speaking at the February meeting of Clare GAA which took place at Hotel Woodstock on Munday night.
After a number of clubs had voiced their objections to proposals in recent weeks, the representatives of both underage boards were called to a meeting with officers of the county executive. That meeting decided to ask the clubs to vote on one of two options:
Option 1: Under 15 hurling and football running on alternate weeks from mid March
Option 2: Under 15 football on a 9 week block from March 19 with under 15 hurling after that to the start of July.
The clubs voted 22 to 15 in favour of option 1.
Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting Anthony O’Halloran from St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield described the decision as “absolutely ridiculous”. “We have two teams in under 15 hurling and two teams in under 15 hurling and in that schedule there is no scope to train. It’s madness and it will kill the dual club. This cannot happen. We are being kicked around the place. It’s a non runner and we are very disappointed with the proposal”, he said.
Supporting O’Halloran, Wolfe Tones delegate Dermot O’Donnell said “we had two meetings with Bord na nÓg Iomáint. We have no issue with the way it was run last year. We object to this. What about player welfare? A lot of these kids are playing one or two other codes. It’s absolute lunacy. The highest drop off is between 13 and 16 years and we are going to lose a lot of players”.
Corofin’s Pat Curtis was another to voice strong opposition to the schedule. “This will run down dual clubs. There is no opportunity for players to train. It can’t be accepted”.
Cratloe’s Aidan Browne said “dual clubs are being treated disgracefully” when he voiced his opposition to the proposed schedule.
Clooney/Quin’s John Skehan felt “there is too much emphasis on training. “It’s at training that injuries are being picked up. Matches will not lead to burnout. Players will learn a lot more from games”.
Safety and facilities officer Ambrose Heagney appealed to both boards to meet again. “Dual clubs are being punished for promoting both codes”, he said.
“The clubs accepted the plan, It’s not perfect but we are going with it for this year. We are not going back to the drawing board”, chairman Kieran Keating said.
Head of Operations in Clare GAA, Deirdre Murphy said, “We discussed this with both boards. The clubs voted 22 to 15 for this schedule. It’s a democratic process and there is no more we can do for this year”.
The underage boards will get the 2023 domestic season underway at the end of February with the minor hurling and football leagues which begin with football on February 25 with hurling a day later. Rounds 2 and 3 will follow on alternate weekends
New group team for senior football championship:
A group team made up of three intermediate clubs, Kilmihil, Shannon Gaels and Coolmeen will compete in this season’s senior football championship.
Coolmeen clubman Joe Corry told the meeting that the three clubs also plan to play separately in the intermediate championship.
“We believe this will benefit our own players who wish to play senior football and also help our intermediate players to train at a higher standard with bigger numbers”, the Coolmeen man told the meeting.
He expressed “concerns about some of our players playing two high intensity championship matches within 24 hours” and he went on to ask Clare GAA “to schedule our intermediate matches at the earliest possible time on a Saturday of a football weekend and to play our senior matches at the latest possible time on a Sunday”.
Corry also requested that the new team be allowed to play in the first weekend of the senior football championship on July 15/16.
Noting that the application was in order chairman Kieran Keating said the participation of group teams was one of the recommendations from the football workgroup a few years back and “I believe this application is something that the board should support. I don’t know if Naomh Eoin, O’Currys and St Senan’s(Kilkee) will be entering a group team this year but I will ask them to let us know for the March meeting”, he said.
“In terms of the request re the scheduling of games, we can’t tie the hands of the CCC. We can’t guarantee that intermediate games will be on Saturday and senior on Sunday. There are lots of other teams involved but the CCC will do its best to facilitate and be as fair as possible”.
With no objections to the application, the request was approved.
Transfers:
Four inter club transfers were ratified at the February meeting as follows. Robert O’Hara from Sixmilebridge to Cratloe, Roy Duffy from Parteen/Meelick to Broadford, Conor Keogh Howard from Kilmaley to Clarecastle and Sean Keane from St. Senan’s Kilkee to Kilrush
New teams:
Killimer and Clonlara will field an additional team each this season. Both have requested special permission to have more that the regulation five players re-graded in order to field these new teams.
Prize money for senior league winners:
The winners of the Clare Cup and Cusack Cup will receive €1,500 each this year with a cheque for €1,000 going to the runners up in each of these competitions.
Head of Operations Deirdre Murphy informed this week’s board meeting that “Future Ticketing who are Offaly and Tipperary based have come on board as sponsors of these competitions”.
Masters Fixtures dates accepted:
There was unanimous support for the masters fixtures plan for 2023 at this week GAA board meeting.
Outlining the schedule, Colm Browne, chairman of the masters fixtures committee told the meeting that the Clare cup hurling league will get underway on March 11/12 and it will take nine rounds to complete. The race for the Cusack Cup will get underway a week later. There will be no dual weekends this year.
Because of the inclusion of a group team in the senior football it will necessitate a group of five and this means that the race for the football title will now commence on the weekend of July 16 with the final going back to October 29. The hurling final is set for October 22.
O’Gorman Cup:
Permission was granted to Doonbeg GAA to run the annual O’Gorman Cup football competition this year on the understanding that it doesn’t interfere with the domestic fixture schedule.
Referee’s foundation course
Well known referee Ger Hoey will be delivering a foundation course for new Clare referees in the coming weeks.
Clare referees administrator Seanie McMahon told delegates at Monday’s board meeting that the new module was launched in Croke Park last week. The Clare course will take place over four evenings with the final one an online exam.
“To date only one name has been submitted for the course and this has come from Clooney/Quin while I have had personal contact from four people who are interested in taking up refereeing”, McMahon said before telling clubs that they “have two weeks to get names in to me”.
The Newmarket-on-Fergus clubman went on to tell the delegate that he “will be announcing a new referees administration committee on March 7”.
Cooraclare’s P.J. McGuane asked, “do we have any female referees” to which the administrator replied “No”.
Scór
“Support for Scór has been slipping in recent times”, Irish officer Joe Garry told this week’s meeting when appealing to clubs to enter this year’s competitions.
“The closing date for entries is February 22nd and we hope to have competitors in seven of the eight categories”, the Cooraclare clubman said.
Sub committees ratified:
The coaching and games committee for 2023 was ratified at this week’s meeting. The members are Neil O’Brien (O’Callaghans Mills) who will be the chairman, Games officer Micheál Duffy who will be the committee secretary, Fergal Lynch (Clooney/Quin), Kieran Corcoran (Broadford), Ger Keane (Lissycasey), Michael J. Malone (Clarecastle N.S.), Stephen McNamara (Coiste na nÓg hurling chairman), Anne Hayes (Coiste ns nÓg football secretary), Paul Reidy, Michael Griffin and Paul Hogan.
The Safety and Facilities committee for the coming season will include the Caherlohan workgroup from last year and it is as follows Ambrose Heagney, John Fawl, Michael Maher, Gerry Lynch, Martin McNamara, Conor Gilligan, Colin Kelly and Brian O’Connell.
Aaron Carroll Cratloe has been added to the P.R. committee which already included Anne Hayes (PRO), Sean O’Halloran, John O’Sullivan, Flan O’Reilly, Michael O’Regan, Seamus O’Reilly and Sean Chambers.
The clubs committee comprises Keith McNamara (Clondegad), Tom Crotty (Scariff) Kieran O’Halloran (Parteen/Meelick), Fiona Whelan (Ballyea), Frances O’Sullivan (Cratloe), Conal McNulty (Banner) and Andrew Monahan (Tubber).
These committee were ratified on the proposition of John Meade (Kildysart), seconded by Gabriel Keating (Naomh Eoin).
Win A House:
Clare GAA will be promoting another win a house competition in 2023. Announcing details at this week’s meeting, chairman Kieran Keating said contractor Dermot Custy is “building houses in Roslevan and he has agreed to sell us one. We will have a launch next month and we plan to have the draw over the Christmas period. Tickets will cost €100 each and as was the case last year, clubs will receive €25 from each ticket they sell”.
Championship format for 2024
Arising from motions from Broadford and Newmarket-on-Fergus to the recent convention with regard to the format for the senior and intermediate hurling championships, a committee is to be appointed to consider the proposals. The committee will be put in place shortly and they will report back to the board before the commencement of this season’s championships. Broadford and Newmarket agreed to this outcome.
Under 19
There were mixed view expressed at this week’s meeting in relation to the feasibility of running an under 19 competition.
An interesting submission from Eire Og’s Paddy Smith who suggested putting up prizes attractive to that age. “Get a prize that appeals to that age group. Get someone to sponsor iPhones and it will work. Put a bit of novelty into it”, he suggested.
