Galway to get full-time secretary

THE county with the largest GAA membership in the country is to finally appoint a full-time secretary to run its affairs – and Galway chairman Gerry Larkin is confident the position will be filled in the coming months.

Larkin, chairman of the Galway County Board, said that a decision had been taken to appoint a full-time secretary and that it was now proceeding with the authorities in Croke Park.

“We have over 15,000 members of the GAA in Galway, which is more than any other county. There are 86 clubs in the county and we have been blessed down through the years with magnificent volunteer support.

“That, hopefully, will continue in the coming years but there is a need to appoint a full-time person to oversee all the various strands of the organisation in the county,” said Larkin, who added that there had been a huge increase in the level of administrative work undertaken by officers in the county.

“It is no exaggeration to say that the volunteer officers work on average 30 to 40 hours per week in addition to their paid employment. It is necessary, in view of the ever increasing workload and standards being laid down by higher authority, to employ a full-time person to oversee all this work.

“We are working with Croke Park in achieving this and would hope that the position will be advertised shortly and that it be filled in the coming months,” said Larkin.