President vows to act on Clare club Kilmaley’s grant anger

GAA President Christy Cooney has vowed to respond to requests from irate Kilmaley club officials over the Clare club’s failure to receive a strategic development grant from cash derived from the opening up of Croke Park.

However he insisted the ultimate responsibility to explain the procedures used in dividing up the €250,000 rests with the Clare County Board.

Banner County officials were unable to decide on what 10 Clare clubs should each receive a grant of €25,000, with Croke Park stadium manager Peter McKenna and Derry County Board chairman Seamus McCloy enlisted to make a judgment. But the Kilmaley club reacted angrily to the lack of information over the criteria used to select the 10 clubs and have written to Cooney demanding an explanation. Cooney confirmed: “They have written to me and I haven’t replied to them yet. I’ll be corresponding but the main response to explain what was going on, is a matter for the Clare County Board.