Clare GAA secretary Pat Fitzgerald to step down next month

Fitzgerald is to step down from his role after 32 years involved with Clare GAA.

RESIGNING: Clare County Board Secretary Pat Fitzgerald is to resign next month. Photo: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

Long-serving Clare GAA secretary Pat Fitzgerald will step down from the role in the middle of next month.

Fitzgerald wrote to clubs today to inform them that he would be vacating the post he has held for the past 32 years next month.

News of Fitzgerald’s departure has come as somewhat of a surprise within the county given the expiry date on his current contract is June 2023, a full year from now. There was also no mention of his impending resignation at last night's Clare county board meeting.

“I am writing to inform you that after 32 years of service, it is my intention to step down from my role as Clare County Secretary on 18th July this year.

“It has been a busy and demanding role and one I have enjoyed immensely. I wish the county and all our teams only the very best with all future endeavours and plans, both on and off the field of play.

“I am very proud of what we have achieved together over many long years, and I wish you every success into the future.

“I look forward to supporting our county as a fan and assisting in any way I can in the years to come,” Fitzgerald concluded.

One of the leading tasks for Fitzgerald’s successor will be to overhaul a governance structure that was claimed to be outdated in the five-year Clare GAA strategic plan published last October by the strategic plan group.

“The Clare GAA governance and structures to date have been largely based on a traditional approach to managing operations. They are not reflective of a vastly changed operational environment,” the group wrote.

“This operational shift is now manifestly evident in how the business of sport functions, financial requirements, games development focus, and the facilities required to operate a ‘tier one’ GAA county.

“Every stakeholder group in Clare prioritised governance as the area for immediate change and restructure. 50% of clubs indicated governance was the priority for the plan; 40% stating it was priority one and a further 10% stating it was priority two.

“Almost one in three clubs (29%) stated that refreshing the county board was the biggest challenge for the Strategic Plan to address. 42% of the Clare GAA public and Clare GAA club members rated Governance as the priority area for attention within the plan."

In recent years, Fitzgerald, and his son Davy, were the subject of much online commentary. In July of last year, the Director of Public Prosecutions decided not to recommend a criminal prosecution after a file was prepared by An Garda Síochána. Following the DPP decision, Pat said he would pursue a civil case against individuals behind a social media webpage for alleged harassment.