‘It is time for change’: Clare GAA executive blasted after ‘disingenuous’ remark

Following recent reports from within the county of no post-training food being provided to the Clare U20 hurlers, Éire Óg clubman Niall O’Connor raised €4,000 to go towards the provision of post-training food.

Tue, 25 May, 2021 - 13:39

Eoghan Cormican

The Clare GAA executive was told “it is time for change” after county board treasurer Michael Gallagher questioned if recent fundraising by the son of former Clare joint-manager Gerry O’Connor was designed to embarrass the county board.

But when Éire Óg delegate Rory Hickey tabled the issue of post-training food for the U20s during Monday’s Clare GAA meeting and O’Connor’s ability to raise more money in four hours than Clare GAA had in the past year, it drew an astonishing response from Clare county board treasurer Michael Gallagher.

“The first I heard about food was when the U20 hurling manager Sean Doyle rang me to know what the situation was in relation to food. I explained to him that it would be the same as every year, that they would get hot meals three weeks before their first championship game. He said, would I look at it? I said I would come back to him, but I got no further correspondence from the manager of the U20 team until I saw what was going on on social media,” Gallagher explained.

“I do accept that in the last number of years since I took over that before that the U20 hurlers and footballers got soup and sandwiches. Last year, Croke Park gave us a stipend for each player but that didn't come this year so we weren't able to provide that.

“Personally, I'd like to thank Niall O'Connor for taking it on himself to do this. If he did raise €4,000, fair play to him. But I would have to ask you delegates, what was his motive for that.

Was it for the good of the U20 hurlers or was it to embarrass the county board? That is the question I am going to pose tonight.

“Is this the same Niall O'Connor that embarrassed the county board down in Thurles where his father and the manager had to go back and apologise to the Clare County Board? Is that the same Niall O'Connor we are talking about here? Niall O'Connor never rang me as treasurer and we could have gone out and spoke about it. He went off on a solo run.

“Is this the same Niall O'Connor that the county minor manager brought on as a selector and for some reason, best known to himself, left for no reason?”

The latter claim has since been rubbished as the Irish Examiner has learned that O’Connor, who served as Clare minor hurling coach for a spell last year, departed the Banner minor set-up after the first nationwide lockdown due to a clash with the Clare SHC which limited his ability to fully commit to minor preparations.

Comments in relation to gear for the same Clare U20 hurlers were also addressed by Gallagher, with the treasurer telling the meeting county secretary Pat Fitzgerald was not in a position to order gear from O’Neill’s given the sizes of each panel member had not yet been forwarded to him.

The treasurer’s tirade against O’Connor led to several club delegates requesting Gallagher withdraw his remarks in relation to the Éire Óg clubman and son of former All-Ireland U21 winning joint-boss Gerry.

“It is a bit disingenuous of Michael to call into question Niall's motives,” said Conor Clancy of Kilmaley. “What Niall did is to be commended. I don't think we should be casting aspersions on Niall or his character.

If we had more people like Niall involved in Clare GAA, we'd be in a much stronger position.

Rory Hickey said the comments made about O’Connor were “out of order”.

“I have to remind the meeting, the delegates and the executive that there is a strategic support committee and a strategic review committee set up within this county. And it was Niall O'Connor's idea that set it up. Some of the comments from the treasurer were rather disingenuous.”

Clare county board vice-chairman Kieran Keating asked his fellow executive member to “reconsider and maybe withdraw what he said about Niall”.

Éire Óg secretary Paddy Smyth, as well as launching a stout defence of O’Connor and his motives for fundraising, said the executive needed to examine themselves as Clare has gone “stale”.

“If we had 10 Niall O'Connors in this county, we'd be in a way, way better position. Those remarks are totally and utterly unacceptable.

“Michael Gallagher and Pat Fitzgerald, I have the greatest of time for the two of you. I know you are under pressure and I appreciate you are doing your best. But you, as an executive, have to look at yourselves. If you were a private company there would be serious questions asked about your performance.

This craic that is going on on social media for the last six months is totally and utterly embarrassing. As a GAA man, I am totally embarrassed.

“You people at the top table of Clare GAA have to examine yourselves. This has to be stopped and the only way you will stop this is action, and proper action. We need open debate. Last September and November, you held two board meetings. One lasted 35 minutes and one lasted 29 minutes. No debate. That, if a consultant was looking at you, would say there is something seriously wrong here lads.

“I am giving it to you straight and constructively. I have no personal agenda with any of you people. I fully realise you are Clare GAA people.

“We need an independent assessment. That is what the strategic review committee will bring."

Smyth added that "it is time for change", "a new model has to be created", "we are gone stale" and "it is time to reinvent”.

Gallagher declined to withdraw his comments when given the opportunity to do so later in the meeting.

In response to questions regarding planned financial activity and the current financial health of the board, the Clare treasurer said finance committee chairman Chris Ryan will make a presentation to the county board at next month’s meeting.