Kerry to tackle player eligibility fears
The Kerry County Board last year established a parish rule and player registration sub-committee to try and find common ground between rural clubs fighting over player eligibility.
O’Sullivan, in his chairman’s address at last night’s Kerry GAA convention, said steps will be taken to achieve clarity in this area.
“The catholic parish has been the defining factor for club catchments in Kerry since 1955. It is not my intention or that of the parish boundaries sub-committee under the chairmanship of Joe Crowley to change this. However, due to the plight of many small rural clubs in the county, I intend to devote one county committee meeting to explore the registration of players,” he said.
O’Sullivan told delegates at the Gleneagle Hotel that the county board executive were currently studying the proposals put forward by Páraic Duffy last month, but stressed that club players in Kerry would never be left without a competitive game for long periods.
“These proposals have far reaching consequences for the inter-county structures as we presently know them and they put player welfare and club fixtures as their core objective. As a management committee, we are examining the impact the proposals would have on Kerry’s inter-county teams and club teams. Player welfare is paramount and we will put it foremost in our consideration in reaching a decision on the proposal.
“Our policy for club teams in Kerry is that the club teams will always have a game, either championship or league. League games are mostly played without county players. Championships are played when county players are available to their clubs.”
Reflecting on the performances of the Kerry senior and minor football teams in 2015, he remarked: “Losing the All-Ireland final was a disappointing end to the year for our senior players and management team. As always, Eamonn Fitzmaurice and his management put in all the necessary preparation to retain the Sam Maguire and the fact that they came up short in the final is going to provide them with the strong motivation to be back in Croke Park on All-Ireland final day next year.
“To minor manager, Jack O’Connor, his management team and players we say thank you for the many hours of enjoyment and entertainment that you gave us again this year. For now they have done their parents, clubs and county proud and I have no doubt that many of them will go on to represent Kerry with distinction at a higher level and we all look forward to that day.”
The Kerry County Board reported an overall profit of €907,417 in 2015, a rise of 112% on last year’s figure. This significant increase is largely attributable to the €722,051 pocketed through international funding.
Total expenditure stood at €4,437,279, marginally up from the 2014 figure of €4,105,127. Team expense ran to €998,495, a 3% rise on the 2014 total. Included in that is the physiotherapy and medical services which reached €194,292, an 18% hike by comparison with last year’s spend.
“Player welfare is very important and we left no stone unturned to ensure all our players were looked after in relation to scans, x-rays, MRIs and what not,” said treasurer Weeshie Lynch.
A motion from the Beale club that all televised games be available on free to air TV upon conclusion of the current TV broadcast rights contract was unanimously passed.
Meanwhile, Munster Council chairman Robert Frost has admitted he’s in the dark on the interprovincial issue and when the outstanding football and hurling games will be played, if at all.
A brief statement on the GAA’s website yesterday afternoon confirmed that ‘refixture details’ following the postponement of last weekend’s intended semi-finals and finals ‘will be confirmed after the next CCCC meeting on January 12’. “If you’re looking at the National Football League starting on the last weekend in January and the Hurling League two weeks later, the window for playing those games is very limited,” said Frost.
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