*Robert Frost. Photograph: John Mangan
IN THE ONLY contest for a position on the Executive of Clare GAA, Robert Frost defeated the sitting Michael O’Neill to become Central Council delegate.
Both men are former Chairmen of Clare GAA and for the second year in a row were the only nominees for the post of Central Council delegate.
O’Callaghans Mills clubman Frost won the postal vote 87-70. There were much less votes cast compared with the 2022 Convention for this role, Ballyea’s O’Neill was elected with the backing of clubs 96-86 last year.
Indeed this was the only vote for the Convention following plenty of change in recent seasons, a total of eight contests were held over the past two Conventions.
Kieran Keating will commence his third year as Chairman of Clare GAA, the Naomh Eoin clubman’s commitment to the role in a year when he lost his father Sean and two aunts was lauded by Head of Operations Deirdre Murphy.
Attending his first County Convention was Treasurer Brian Fitzpatrick of Clooney/Quin who was seated at the top table alongside Murphy, Keating, Asst Secretary Deirdre Chaplin, Vice Chairman Michael O’Connor and PRO Anne Hayes.
Cooraclare duo Sean Chambers and Joe Garry were also return unopposed along with Coaching Officer, Neil O’Brien, Munster Council delegates Bernard Keane and John Fawl.
Keane and Fawl will also be delegates to Munster Convention with Frost and Coolmeen’s Des Farrell. Frost is joined by Vice Chairman O’Connor and Naomh Eoin’s Gabriel Keating as delegates to National Congress.
At an online meeting last week, Joan Crotty was appointed as the new Children’s Officer, the Scariff woman was proposed by Clare GAA Chairman Keating and Scariff Chairman, Ger Rodgers. Ambrose Heagney (safety and facilities officer) and Paddy Smyth (planning and training officer) were also appointed at that virtual gathering.
This appointment of Crotty was questioned by Ruan’s Michael O’Regan, he asked if her predecessor Cathy Hogan of Wolfe Tones outlined if she didn’t wish to continue. Keating responded, “it is a specialised position, we met with Joan to ask her if she would be interested in the role, she said she would and we recommended her to the County Committee”.
O’Regan expressed his view that Cathy “as far as I’m aware done it to the best of her ability and was quite good at it”. The Chairman insisted that the audit and risk committee flagged that the role required “a particular skillset”. The Ruan man replied, “the same applies for every position” and added, “it is not very fair to just put everything down to skillsets”.
“We can only have one Children’s officer, we picked who we thought would be best candidate,” the Chairman advised. O’Regan who does the announcements in Cusack Park queried if a reason arose during the year “so as to decide that this position needed somebody else other than the incumbent”.
Keating detailed that there was “not anything particular” only the advice from the audit and risk committee. He then voiced his thanks to Cathy for “stepping into the role” when her predecessor Fearghal Gray of Feakle stepped down due to work commitments. “Positions will change from year to year, none of us want to get stale in our roles, we will have change most years,” the Chairman said.
Speaking at Tuesday’s Convention, Frost admitted it was “a great honour for me to be elected”. He detailed that he had been attending Conventions for many years, “I am delighted to be in a position to represent the Banner County”.
Currently serving as County Board delegate with the Mills, the former Munster Council Chairman added, “I will do my best, I will say to all clubs and everyone involved in the GAA, feel free to contact me at any time on any problem you feel I can help with”.
He outlined his intention to have updates from a Central Council as an item on the agenda for monthly meetings of the County Board. “Central Council makes very important decisions, I will make sure it is on the agenda at every County Board meeting”.
Frost acknowledged the clubs and personnel who contacted him to go forward for the role, “hopefully I will do them justice in this position”. He wished his predecessor O’Neill well for the future.
Clare GAA Executive 2024:
Head of Operations: Deirdre Murphy (Clooney/Quin)
Chairman: Kieran Keating (Naomh Eoin)
Vice Chairman: Michael O’Connor (Crusheen)
Asst Secretary: Deirdre Chaplin (Cratloe)
Treasurer: Brian Fitzpatrick (Clooney/Quin)
Asst Treasurer: Sean Chambers (Cooraclare)
Public Relations Officer: Anne Hayes (Lissycasey)
Irish & Cultural Officer: Joe Garry (Cooraclare)
Coaching Officer: Neil O’Brien (O’Callaghans Mills)
Central Council Delegate: Robert Frost (O’Callaghans Mills)
Munster Council Delegate: John Fawl (Ennistymon)
Munster Council Delegate: Bernard Keane (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
National Congress Delegates: Gabriel Keating (Naomh Eoin), Robert Frost (O’Callaghans Mills), Michael O’Connor (Crusheen)
Munster Convention Delegates: Robert Frost (O’Callaghans Mills), Bernard Keane (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), Des Farrell (Coolmeen), John Fawl (Ennistymon)
Safety & Facilities Officer: Ambrose Heagney (Corofin)
Children’s Officer: Joan Crotty (Scariff)
Planning & Training Officer: Paddy Smyth (Éire Óg)
