Galway County Board running out of coaches to oversee summer Cúl Camps

The Galway County Board is running out of coaches to oversee GAA Cúl Camps in the county.

The stark admission is contained in outgoing Galway coaching officer Micheál Geraghty’s report to Monday’s county convention.

Geraghty has said it will be a challenge to recruit the required number of Cúl Camp coaches next summer.

“The Cúl Camp project is the biggest undertaking in Coaching and Games each year. In 2019, we had 10,200 children attend Cúl Camps in Galway, hurling and football, over a four-week period,” Geraghty stated.

“The amount of work is extraordinary. We have now to reflect on the viability of running such camps which continue to grow year on year. We are effectively running out of coaches.

This year, we were granted the concession of employing players from our U17 county squads who were qualified to coach on our Cúl Camps. Next year, the coaching ratio is tightening.

“And although Transition Year students will be allowed to coach, as they are qualified after our TY programme, there will be a problem recruiting suitably qualified coaches. We have become a victim of our own success, but we will no doubt find a solution.”

County board secretary Seamus O’Grady, in his report, thanked Supermacs for their continued sponsorship of Galway GAA. O’Grady did not make reference to the statement issued by the fast-food chain in September demanding to know how the €1.6m Supermacs pumped into Galway GAA since 2015 had been spent.

“Sponsorship is a very important source of income for Galway GAA as it helps to support all our county teams and club competitions. On behalf of all members of Galway GAA, I thank Pat and Una McDonagh most sincerely for continuing to be the main and exclusive sponsor of all our county adult teams,” wrote O’Grady.

The Pearse Stadium committee expressed disappointment at failing to secure a concert for the venue in 2019, “nor were we approached”, their report added.

“A number of enquiries have been made in relation to 2020, but Pearse Stadium has either missed out on plans or plans have not yet come to fruition at the time of writing.”

The coffers of the Galway county board took in just €76k from Pearse Stadium hosting two sellout Ed Sheeran gigs in the summer of 2018.