‘Witch hunt against Clare’

CLARE GAA Secretary Pat Fitzgerald has launched a stinging attack on the Games Administration Committee’s handling of the Gerry Quinn saga in his report to tomorrow’s annual convention in Ennis.

Specifically, he says that the board was incensed by comments from the GAC that they hadn't co-operated in the investigation of the incident in which Quinn was controversially injured in the All-Ireland hurling semi-final game against Waterford.

Making the comment that "controversy has stalked Clare like a like shadow" since Ger Loughnane's managership, he points out that this time it wasn't "of their making".

"People have tried to initiate witch hunts against Clare because it had become a popular pastime. Clare were hurling's bad boys and Loughnane had stirred up a storm with his antics on and off the field. His rebellious nature rubbed people up the wrong way.

"The physicality of Clare's play had portrayed them in a bad light just as much as some sections of the media had.

Thankfully, when the controversy arose this year, selectivity was replaced with consistency."

Mr Fitzgerald writes that Clare were dragged into the Quinn affair, explaining that at no stage did they call for a formal investigation into the incident.

"The soundings that were made reached the corridors of authority in the Association, to such an extent that the GAC picked up the baton," the report continues.

After the board and the player were summoned to a meeting "for the purpose of naming and shaming" the Waterford player, neither party was prepared to do so. "Gerry Quinn, as was his right, refused to name the guilty party and it was his expressed wish that the County Board wouldn't either," he adds. "We didn't, and with no evidence to incriminate the offender, the matter rested there.

"We were happy that the GAC initiated the investigation but incensed when they issued a statement afterwards accusing us of a lack of co-operation.

We felt the GAC were looking for scapegoats for their failure to identify a culprit. But, we certainly weren't prepared to be that scapegoat."

In a comment on the Special Congress called to debate the SRC report, Mr Fitzgerald suggests that the majority of delegates appeared to be apathetic towards change.

"Coming up with recommendations is one thing but, as many people know with the GAA, they are very set in their ways."

The adoption of the motion limiting the involvement of U-16 players is raised on the basis that it would have serious repercussions for clubs affected by the "haemorrhage" of emigration. However, since his report was written, the Central Council had put a 12-month moratorium on the rule.

He is very critical of the decision to proceed with Clare's football championship game against Tipperary 'on a wet and watery day' in the Gaelic Grounds.

"That was a day Clare had grounds for complaint. The football resembled waterpolo and to this day I still cannot fathom the fact that the game proceeded," he comments.

Clare's three-year deal with Vodafone has run its course, and he says that while they will be given first refusal, it is incumbent on the board to negotiate the best deal possible, irrespective of who the sponsor may be.

Motions relating to such as issues as the use of Croke Park for other sports, ticket allocations to All-Ireland finalists have been submitted, along with an unusual proposal from Ennistymon that hurling and football should be organised by separate organisations 'within the GAA umbrella.'

The board achieved a profit of €43,000, with income amounting to €2.75m. and expenditure totalling over €2.7m. Interestingly, commercial income exceeded the return from gate receipts. On the expenditure side, team administration expenses came to €480,000, up from €328,000. More money was spent on catering (€137,000) and sportsgear/equipment (€132,000) than on players' travelling expenses (€95,000). During the year, the board spent over €36,000 on complimentary tickets.