ABC are up and running

THE newly formed Alliance for the Betterment of Coursing held its inaugural National meeting on Sunday last in Nenagh and organisers were delighted with the huge turnout.

It was a clear statement of intent to support the objectives of ABC which are, according to one of the organisers, Michael Heeney: “To bring necessary reform to the administration of coursing to secure its future and to encourage all stake holders in the sport to become active members of their local clubs, ensuring their voices are heard.”

Every sector of the sport was represented from breeders, owners, trainers, and stud keepers, club officials, sponsors and sitting ICC executive members.

In his introduction, Michael Heeney (Dundalk), pointed out that many luminaries of the sport were present, people who had reached the pinnacle of the sport, including the winners of the Derby, Oaks, Irish Cup, Champion Stakes and the Waterloo Cup in recent years.

Numerous coursing dynasties were represented; household prefixes like the Craftys, Smokeys, Quarrymount, Judicial, “Dale, Ballinveala, Pumpkin, Vacuume, Kick Me, Fingal, Brookview, Marshalls, Greenview, Colinas, Lucan, Ardmore, Fiery .

In a comprehensive submission, Pat Savage (Fingal), outlined the feedback received from the various stakeholders in the sport. Paramount among these, he said was, “integrity, transparency and the over-riding need to bring more young dynamic confident people into the administration and to encourage more and more of the youth of the clubs into prominent positions.”

There were major submissions from the floor with contributions from Michael Horgan Cork; Sean Burke, Newpark Stud; Gerry Griffin Abbeyfeale; Brendan Farrelly, Westmeath; Brian Divilly, Galway; John Harrington, Cork; Pat Lee and Dennis Kelly, Nenagh; Pat Hoban, Westport; Tom Dwyer, Cashel; Davy Reynolds, Drogheda; Murt Ryan, Borrisoleigh; Ann Quinlan, Emly; Joe Cribben, Enniskillen; Tony Mc Namee, Kilcullen, Billy Roche, Fethard and Michael Malone, Kilcullen.

It was unanimously agreed that ABC now has a major role to play in the further development of the sport and the 140 plus attendance indicated their desire to develop a National body.

It was decided to hold regional meetings and to nominate steering committees in each area to convene these meetings.

Munster area — Ann and Lisa Quinlan, Emly and Dennis Kelly, Nenagh. Venue: Woodlands House, Adare, Tuesday, May 27, 8 pm.

South Leinster/East Munster — Michael Malone, Pat Loughlin .Venue — Pat Loughlin’s Gowran, Tuesday, May 20, 9pm.

Connacht: Pat Hoban. Venue: McWilliams Park Hotel, Claremorris, Tuesday, May 20, 8.30. pm

Ulster — John Kelly and Brian Jones. Railway Hotel, Enniskillen, Wed, May 21.