Convention: John Costello, Dublin County Board Chief Executive

Cumann Lúthchleas Gael - Coiste Átha Cliath

Comhdháil Bhliantúil

Páirc Parnell, Dé Luain 15ú Nollaig 2014 ar 7.00 i.n.

An Clár

1. Minutes of 2013 Convention.

2. Adoption of Standing Orders.

3. Auditor's Report and Financial Statement.

4. Secretary's Report.

5. Appointment of Tellers.

6. Election of Officers.

7. Fixture Planning & Competitions Control Committee Reports.

8. Coiste Éisteachta Report.

9. Coaching & Games Development Report.

10. Appointment of Auditor.

11. Appointment of Delegates to Leinster Convention.

12. Appointment of Delegates to Congress.

Standing Orders for Convention

1. The Proposer of a Resolution or Amendment thereto, may speak for 5 minutes but no longer.

2. A Delegate speaking to a Resolution, or amendment, shall not exceed 3 minutes.

3. The Proposer of a Resolution, or Amendment, may speak a second time for 5 minutes before a vote is taken, but no other Delegate may speak a second time to any Resolution or Amendment.

4. The Chairman shall, at any time he considers a matter has been sufficiently discussed, call on the Proposer to reply, after which a vote will be taken.

5. A Delegate may, with the consent of the Chairman, move "that the question be now put" after which, when the Proposer has spoken, a vote must be taken.

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AINMNIUCHÁIN

Cathaoirleach

Aindriú Mac Coitil (Rabíní Fhine Gall) Outgoing

Leas-Chathaoirleach

Seán Mac Seanlaoich (Craobh Chiaráin) Outgoing

Cainneach Ó Súilleabháin (Cuala)

Cisteoir

Fionnbharr Ó Mathúna (Naomh Pádraig Baile Phámar) Outgoing

Leas-Rúnaí / Leas Cisteoir

Séamus de Róiste (Fionnbhrú Colmcille) Outgoing

Oifigeach Forbartha

Dómhnall Ó hIcéadha (Na Fianna) Outgoing

Oifigeach na Gaeilge

Bairbre Ní Néil (Caisleán Cnuacha) Outgoing

Oifigeach Caidreamh Poiblí

Fiona Ní Thuairisc (Naomh Bríd) Outgoing

Oifigeach na nÓg

Ailín Uí Bhroin (Dúthamlacht) Outgoing

Árd Chomhairle

Aindriú Mac Coitil (Rabíní Fhine Gall) Outgoing

Comhairle Laighean

Nollaig Ó Murchú (Gael na Trionóide) Outgoing

Gearóid Ó hArrachtáin (Naomh Mearnóg) Outgoing

Seán Ó Báille (Cuala)

Michéal Ó Brian (Naomh Jude) 3

Tuarascáil An Rúnaí

Tá sé in am dom arís féachaint siar ar na príomh imeachtaí don bhliain atá imithe. Chomh maith le sin, seo an t-aon seans atá agam, mar Rúnaí Chontae, mo thuairim phearsanta a chur ós bhur gcomhair. Teastaíonn uaim mo bhuíochas a ghabháil le hOifigigh an Chontae agus na gClub as ucht a gcuid oibre i rith na bliana.

Inter-County Senior Football

For the first time in our history, we captured back-to-back National Football League Division 1 titles while we also secured our fourth Leinster Senior Football Championship in-a-row. However, the over-riding feeling from 2014 was possibly one of disappointment as we exited the Championship at the semi-final stage.

The League involved an eventful and exciting run of games and the highlights included:

 the comeback against Mayo when we were a man down and six points down inside the last 15 minutes and almost snatched victory from the jaws of defeat;

 Diarmuid Connolly's brilliant point against Tyrone that secured a semi-final slot;

 the incredible second half against Cork in the semi-final when we trailed by eight points at the interval but ran out seven points winners; and

 the powerful display against Derry in the final.

We entered the Championship in good shape despite the loss of players such as Kevin O'Brien and Ciaran Kilkenny through injury.

Against Laois, we trailed by two points at half-time but, in familiar fashion, the players upped the intensity in the second half and the introduction of a number of substitutes also contributed to our winning margin of eleven points.

Our 2-25 to 1-12 victory over Wexford in the semi-final saw Dublin progress to the Leinster decider for the ninth time in ten years to face Meath. Again, we had too much firepower for our neighbours when capturing the Delaney Cup for the 53rd time.

Monaghan, who had been taken to extra-time in their qualifier victory the previous week, were expected to provide stiff opposition in the quarter-finals but goals in quick 4

succession from Diarmuid Connolly and Bernard Brogan saw us on the road to victory with ten players contributing to our final score tally.

Against Donegal, all was going well in the early stages as Diarmuid Connolly and Paul Flynn gave a masterclass in long-distance point scoring. We led 0-7 to 0-2 after 17 minutes and it was 0-8 to 0-3 after 21 minutes. Then disaster struck.

Ryan McHugh's goal gave Donegal the half-time lead, probably against the run of play and an uphill task against a team of Donegal's calibre was made impossible when Colm McFadden scored their third goal.

It was a game of 'ifs' and 'buts' - what if we had taken one or both of our goal-scoring opportunities in that early period of dominance?

But there is little to be gained by dwelling on it. Suffice to say there are lessons to be learnt and we will enter 2015 optimistic that we will again be among the front-runners in the race for Sam.

Finally, congratulations to James McCarthy, Diarmuid Connolly and Paul Flynn on their All-Star awards. This is the first award for both James and Diarmuid but Paul has now won four consecutive awards following his original All-Star in the All-Ireland winning year of 2011 - a superb individual achievement. Incredibly, he is the first footballer since 1985 to enjoy such an unbroken sequence of All-Star success – a record only surpassed by Kerrymen, Pat Spillane (1976 - 1981), Jack O’Shea (1980 - 1985) and the late Páidí Ó Sé (1981 - 1985).

Senior Hurling

Dublin entered this year's championship hopeful of retaining the Bob O'Keeffe Cup for the first time but it wasn't to be.

While we did have to play in a relegation play-off where we defeated Waterford, there was still solid ground for optimism ahead of the summer. Our two victories in the NHL Division 1A had come against last year's All-Ireland champions, Clare, and perennial front-runners, Kilkenny. 5

We were also unlucky to find ourselves standing over the relegation drop-door as it was merely points scoring difference that pitted us against the Deise, with Tipperary escaping.

To open our Leinster Championship defence we overcame the very tricky assignment of defeating Wexford in Wexford Park with the firepower of Alan McCrabbe (0-9, 6f), Conal Keaney and sub, Paul Ryan, to the fore while Alan Nolan in goals pulled off two excellent saves. This set up a provincial final head-to-head with Kilkenny, probably still smarting from the previous summer's defeat.

Colm Cronin's 22nd minute goal briefly lit the Dublin flame but we could only muster three points in the second half and failed to score in the last 22 minutes as we surrendered the O'Keeffe Cup somewhat meekly.

It was a slide that continued in the All-Ireland quarter-final as Tipperary raised their game towards the close of the opening half and were full value for their 13-point victory.

So what did we learn from 2014?

Possibly that the strength and depth required to consistently compete at the top level does not currently exist in the senior panel. The injury to Danny Sutcliffe prior to the summer had a detrimental effect on his preparations and, without him operating at the very top of his game, our forward unit never really functioned to its full potential.

I deal elsewhere with the superb contribution of Anthony Daly and his management team in the upturn of Dublin hurling. However, under new manager, Ger Cunningham, hopefully we will address something of the boom/bust cycle in our achievements in recent years.

Under 21 Football

Dublin began their successful U21 campaign in the surrounds of Carlow Institute of Technology on March 5 and they set down an early marker as they ran out comfortable winners over Carlow. 6

Dublin’s team featured a large number of players that had featured in the county’s run to successive All-Ireland minor finals in 2011 and 2012. But it was 2013 minor, Michael Deegan, who grabbed the scoring honours as he scored 1-6 from play from corner-forward.

Conor McHugh and Ciarán Kilkenny were others to feature prominently on the scoreboard but sadly, it proved the latter’s final match of the U21 campaign given his subsequent cruciate knee injury in Croke Park three days later. The contest was also noteworthy for the excellent performance of Eric Lowndes, with the St Peregrine’s clubman producing a series of influential displays as the championship evolved.

On 19th March, Dublin were once again on their travels for their provincial semi-final clash with Longford in O’Moore Park and two early Paul Mannion goals set us en route to a relatively straightforward victory.

Despite Mannion’s early brace, Dublin still struggled for fluidity over the hour but the defensive displays of John Small, Robbie McDaid and David Byrne proved too much for a Longford team that managed just two points from play over the duration. While Dublin led by 2-4 to 0-4 at the break, they didn't put the game to bed until substitute Emmet Ó Conghaile scored their third goal with five minutes remaining.

Portlaoise was once again the venue a fortnight later as Dublin regained the Leinster U21 Football Championship after a 0-15 to 0-10 win over Meath. However, we were made to work for our victory by a combative and committed Royal County side.

Dublin led 0-7 to 0-3 at the break but they were flattered by that advantage as Meath shot eight wides and had a penalty brilliantly saved by Lorcan Molloy in the opening half hour. Molloy’s save from Bobby O’Brien proved the defining moment of the game as Dublin enjoyed a four-point interval lead with a number of impressive individual scores and the hugely influential Shane Carthy played a major role.

Meath continued to press upon the restart but another fine save from Molloy kept Dublin in the ascendancy while substitute Gavin Burke enjoyed a telling cameo with a brace of pivotal scores by the end. 7

It was an even tighter affair in the All-Ireland semi-final with a late free ensuring a 0-11 to 0-10 victory over Cavan in Portlaoise. Dublin created numerous chances in the opening quarter but failed to capitalise on their early supremacy due to some errant shooting and the Ulster champions took full advantage as they enjoyed a 0-7 to 0-5 interval lead.

Despite falling four points down early in the second-half, Dublin battled on though, and as Cavan's attacking threat waned, the capital side began to create more and more chances with excellent scores from distance cutting the gap down to one point with 20 minutes to go. With Eric Lowndes excelling, Dublin levelled matters and a converted close-in free in the 60th minute after a foul on Gavin Ivory confirmed our final berth.

If it was Dublin’s defence that earned the plaudits against Cavan, the excellence of their attack was the telling factor as Dublin brushed aside Roscommon by 1-21 to 3-6 in the All-Ireland Final in O’Connor Park, Tullamore on 3rd May.

Dessie Farrell's charges ran amok in the opening period to build up an unassailable 0-14 to

0-1 half-time lead. When Man of the Match and Cadbury’s Hero of the Future Winner, Conor McHugh, scored the winners' only goal to bring his tally to 1-5 from play five minutes after the restart, they had extended their lead to a massive 19 points (1-17 to 0-1).

Dublin were buoyed by a 14th minute penalty save by Molloy from Donie Smith and despite having David Byrne black-carded, they dominated the first-half with the forward division in devastating form.

To Roscommon’s credit, they made life difficult for Dublin in the second-half by blitzing them for three goals inside a five-minute period. But the Dubs regrouped impressively and eased home thanks to late scores from Paul Mannion and substitute Shane Cunningham.

Under 21 Hurling

Dublin’s Under 21 hurlers failed narrowly in their attempts to win their sixth provincial title as they succumbed to a talented Wexford outfit in early July.

Dublin began their Leinster Championship campaign with a home game against Laois in Parnell Park on 28th May and a strong third quarter ensured a seven point victory. Laois 8

played the more impressive hurling in the early stages but a superb Colm Cronin goal helped settle Dublin as they enjoyed a narrow interval lead.

It was far more straightforward for Dublin upon the resumption with Oisín O’Rorke especially lively in attack while Cronin increased his personal tally to 1-3 by the end. Paul Winters was another player to make a valuable contribution, scoring eight points from frees while a further positive from a Dublin perspective was the influential cameo delivered by substitute, Cian Boland, in the second-half.

Fortune favoured Dublin four weeks later as they rode their luck somewhat before finally accounting for Westmeath by 2-8 to 0-13 in their provincial semi-final in Cusack Park, Mullingar. There were few signs of Dublin’s impending travails as they began relatively sharply and an early goal from Cronin handed his side the perfect start.

However, Westmeath began to control the tight exchanges in the middle third, allowing Niall O’Brien to punish any ill-discipline in the Dublin defence. Dublin were once again buoyed by the introduction of Boland at half-time and his clinically taken goal in the 42nd minute looked to have swung the tie in his side’s favour.

The hosts refused to lie down, however, and four successive frees by O’Brien restored parity before the Westmeath senior star saw his 56th minute penalty repelled by Conor Dooley and Dublin availed of that let-off to fire a winning score through Boland three minutes later.

Dublin entered the Leinster Final a fortnight later as underdogs as they faced a talented Wexford selection in Parnell Park. Despite producing their most consistent performance of the year, the Dubs were on the wrong end of a 1-20 to 0-18 final scoreline.

The visitors assumed control from the early stages, firing some superb scores in the opening quarter but with O’Rorke, Caolán Conway and Chris Crummey to the fore, Dublin managed to reduce their arrears as the half progressed.

A long-distance free from Dooley left the bare minimum between the sides early in the second-half. However, a sublime goal from Wexford starlet, Conor McDonald, at the end of 9

the third quarter and a defensive masterclass by Liam Ryan led the Model County to a deserved win.

Minor Football

It was a positive year for the county’s minor footballers as they regained the provincial title before narrowly failing to reach the All-Ireland final following a one point semi-final loss to Donegal.

Dublin’s Leinster Minor Football Championship campaign began in Pearse Park, Longford with the visitors starting rather slowly before overcoming the midlanders by three points on 19th April.

Chris Sallier’s goal in the first-half helped puncture some early Longford optimism while Con O’Callaghan’s excellent goal upon the restart proved telling in a competitive encounter.

It was similarly tight in Parnell Park four weeks later as Dublin showed commendable battling qualities to eventually account for Meath by 0-15 to 0-12. Three first-half points from Jack Burke kept a misfiring Dublin in contention in the first-half, while six points from placed balls by Conor Kavanagh ensured a semi-final spot for Cyril Kevlihan’s charges.

It was almost eight weeks later before Dublin tasted competitive action again and we had a comprehensive victory against an under-performing Offaly in O'Connor Park, Tullamore. An early goal by Con O’Callaghan set the tone for a one-sided clash, with Chris Sallier and Aaron Byrne registering further goals before the interval.

The procession continued after the break with Con O’Callaghan and Chris Sallier finding the net for the second time before substitute Rian McBride added a sixth goal before the end. Dublin’s reward for that win was a Leinster Final berth against Kildare with Dublin reversing the loss of the semi-final 12 months previously when recording a comfortable 3-16 to 1-12 victory in Croke Park.

After falling behind early, it was Con O’Callaghan who got Dublin back on track with a superb individual goal midway through the half. Both Colm Basquel and Aaron Byrne also netted to hand Dublin the initiative by half-time. 10

Dublin relaxed somewhat from that point onwards but impressive defensive efforts from Eoin Murchan, Aodhán Fee and Declan Monahan ensured Kildare were kept at arm’s length for the duration.

Cork were Dublin’s opponents in the All-Ireland quarter-final in Thurles on 4th August and despite an unconvincing opening, two Chris Sallier goals ensured a well-merited 2-14 to 1-13 success. The Thomas Davis player struck clinically on the counter-attack to stun Cork in the first-half, while eight points over the hour by Con O’Callaghan confirmed Dublin’s semi-final spot.

Despite bucking the trend by initially impressing against Donegal, Dublin’s challenge unravelled when they conceded 1-3 inside four minutes late in the first-half. However, Jack Burke’s goal at the end of the third quarter looked to have restored Dublin’s momentum but the Ulster champions finished in the ascendancy, sealing their one point win through a 58th minute point by Ethan O’Donnell.

Minor Hurling

After a series of encouraging displays in challenge matches over the spring, Dublin’s minor hurlers began their provincial campaign with a promising five point victory over Wexford in the picturesque St. Martin’s GAA Club Grounds in Piercestown on 13th April.

Dublin, managed for the second successive year by Pat Fanning, started brightly through the efforts of Rian McBride and Donal Burke at centrefield. Despite a second-half rally from the hosts, however, Dublin deservedly prevailed with Seán Gray scoring eight points over the hour.

Another difficult away assignment lay in wait for Dublin a fortnight later as they travelled to Nowlan Park to meet Kilkenny. Dublin arguably produced their most dominant performance of the year as they recorded a comprehensive win.

First-half goals by Chris Bennett and Con O’Callaghan set the tone for Dublin that afternoon, who restricted the hosts to just a solitary score from play over the hour. Dublin’s defence all excelled both individually and collectively, with both Paul O’Dea and captain Shane Barrett 11

giving inspiring displays while McBride adorned another classy showing with two late scores to confirm an 11-point win.

With a two-month break preceding Dublin’s next encounter, the Blues showed understandable signs of rustiness on 21st June in their provincial semi-final at Parnell Park before eventually pulling through by 0-17 to 0-16 against Wexford once again.

The hosts appeared in serious trouble against a re-invigorated Wexford outfit but the accuracy from placed balls by Seán Gray and an enterprising cameo from substitute Eoin Ó Conghaile saw Dublin home by the bare minimum.

The peculiar nature of the provincial draw saw Dublin face Kilkenny for the second time in the Leinster Final on 6th July with Kilkenny controlling affairs for the large part as they cruised to a 10-point victory.

Injuries to Na Fianna clubmen, Chris Barrett and Paul O’Dea proved telling as the Dublin defence struggled to cope with the pace and movement of their opponents. Goals from Sean Ryan and Eoin Ó Conghaile were a mere consolation by the final whistle.

The draw for the All-Ireland quarter-final proved unkind to Pat Fanning’s charges, pitting them against reigning holders Waterford in Thurles. Despite producing a far more accomplished display, the concession of goals at vital times saw the Déise prevail by 2-18 to 0-19.

The game turned irrevocably in Waterford’s favour in the 43rd minute. Shane Walsh netted with Dublin having a goal from Con O’Callaghan perhaps harshly disallowed a minute later, effectively ending Dublin’s national ambitions.

Fingal

Fingal's return to the Nicky Rackard Cup was justified when they went on a great run to reach the decider before losing to Tyrone by a single point in Croke Park. 12

This came after a league where they finished fifth in their group of six in the National Hurling League Division 2B and a relegation match against Donegal when, in the words of their manager, Mick Kennedy: "Anything that could go wrong, went wrong."

Following that game though they took flight in the Rackard Cup and showed great fortitude to come back from eight points down against Donegal in their semi-final in Letterkenny to win - exhibiting a terrific never-say-die attitude.

In the Rackard Cup final, Fingal came with a storming last quarter before losing to Tyrone by such a slender margin. Tyrone led by seven points up entering the concluding 15 minutes, but Fingal rallied strongly and a late goal by Dave Smyth brought them within a point.

However, the Ulster men held out to claim victory and extend their unbeaten run this season. However, the merits and quality of their season was marked when Fingal’s Bryan Kelly, Niall Ring and John Matthew Sheridan were acknowledged as Nicky Rackard Champion 15 Award Winners.

The following is a record of the performances of our various teams in official competitions during the past 12 months:

Allianz Hurling League

160214 Galway Dublin 1 - 12 Galway 0 - 28

230214 Parnell Park Dublin 2 - 17 Clare 0 - 17

090314 Waterford Dublin 1 - 10 Waterford 1 - 13

150314 Parnell Park Dublin 1 - 22 Kilkenny 3 - 13

230314 Thurles Dublin 0 - 19 Tipperary 1 - 19

300314 Waterford Dublin 4 - 13 Waterford 1 - 17

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship

140614 Wexford Dublin 0 - 22 Wexford 1 - 14

060714 Croke Park Dublin 1 - 9 Kilkenny 0 - 24

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

270714 Thurles Dublin 0 - 16 Tipperary 2 - 23 13

Walsh Cup Senior Hurling

210114 Parnell Park Dublin 2 - 20 Laois 2 - 15

260114 Gorey Dublin 1 - 15 Wexford 1 - 14

010214 Croke Park Dublin 1 - 17 Kilkenny 0 - 24

Allianz Football League

010214 Croke Park Dublin 2 - 8 Kerry 1 - 10

090214 Mullingar Dublin 0 - 14 Westmeath 1 - 7

010314 Croke Park Dublin 0 - 18 Cork 1 - 17

080314 Croke Park Dublin 1 - 22 Kildare 1 - 12

160314 Derry Dublin 0 - 13 Derry 1 - 16

290314 Croke Park Dublin 3 - 14 Mayo 2 - 17

060414 Omagh Dublin 3 - 10 Tyrone 1 - 15

130414 Croke Park Dublin 2 - 20 Cork 2 - 13

270414 Croke Park Dublin 3 - 19 Derry 1 - 10

Leinster Senior Football Championship

080614 Croke Park Dublin 2 - 21 Laois 0 - 16

290614 Croke Park Dublin 2 - 25 Wexford 1 - 12

200714 Croke Park Dublin 3 - 20 Meath 1 - 10

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

090814 Croke Park Dublin 2 - 22 Monaghan 0 - 11

310814 Croke Park Dublin 0 - 17 Donegal 3 - 14

O’Byrne Cup Senior Football

050114 Mullingar Dublin 0 - 12 Westmeath 0 - 11

080114 Parnell Park Dublin 2 - 6 Wicklow 0 - 8

120114 Parnell Park Dublin 0 - 16 DCU 3 - 8

Leinster U21 Hurling Championship

280514 Parnell Park Dublin 1 - 17 Laois 1 - 10

250614 Mullingar Dublin 2 - 8 Westmeath 0 - 13

090714 Parnell Park Dublin 0 - 18 Wexford 1 - 20 14

Leinster U21 Football Championship

050314 Carlow Dublin 2 - 28 Carlow 0 - 3

190314 Portlaoise Dublin 3 - 7 Westmeath 0 - 6

020414 Portlaoise Dublin 0 - 15 Meath 0 - 10

All-Ireland U21 Football Championship

190414 Portlaoise Dublin 0 - 11 Cavan 0 - 10

030514 Tullamore Dublin 1 - 21 Roscommon 3 - 6

Leinster Minor Hurling Championship

130414 Piercestown Dublin 0 - 16 Wexford 0 - 11

260414 Kilkenny Dublin 2 - 8 Kilkenny 0 - 3

210614 Parnell Park Dublin 0 - 17 Wexford 0 - 16

060714 Croke Park Dublin 2 - 10 Kilkenny 2 - 19

All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship

270714 Thurles Dublin 0 - 19 Waterford 2 - 18

Leinster Minor Football Championship

190414 Longford Dublin 2 - 11 Longford 0 - 14

170514 Parnell Park Dublin 0 - 15 Meath 0 - 12

100714 Tullamore Dublin 6 - 13 Offaly 0 - 6

220714 Croke Park Dublin 3 - 16 Kildare 1 - 12

All-Ireland Minor Football Championship

040814 Thurles Dublin 2 - 14 Cork 1 - 13

310814 Croke Park Dublin 1 - 11 Donegal 1 - 12

Allianz Hurling League

160214 Ballyhaunis Fingal 3 - 9 Mayo 2 - 13

230214 Swords Fingal 2 - 18 Armagh 2 - 13

090314 Trim Fingal 1 - 7 Meath 5 - 22

160314 Swords Fingal 2 - 10 Down 4 - 19

230314 Arklow Fingal 2 - 8 Wicklow 3 - 32 15

300314 Inniskeen Fingal 0 - 8 Armagh 4 - 12

130414 Cavan Fingal 0 - 8 Donegal 2 - 16

Nicky Rackard Cup

030514 Swords Fingal 0 - 12 Louth 0 - 10

240514 Letterkenny Fingal 2 - 11 Donegal 1 - 12

070614 Croke Park Fingal 1 - 16 Tyrone 1 - 17

Kehoe Cup Senior Hurling

190114 Páirc Barróg Fingal 5 - 18 Longford 0 - 13

260114 Donabate Fingal 2 - 7 Down 0 - 18

Anthony Daly

After six years at the helm, Anthony Daly decided to step down as Dublin senior hurling manager, leaving behind a strong legacy.

During that period, Anthony and his various management teams saw Dublin climb the ladder of hurling in the country. His impact on hurling in the capital is possibly best summarised by a story recounted to me by one of the more experienced hurlers in the camp.

To quote this hurler: "I knew we were on the right road when representatives of the top hurling counties less frequently entered the Dublin dressing-room after matches that they had won to tell us how we were coming along and to keep at it."

Anthony's loyalty to the cause, his expertise, his charisma and drive were key factors in Dublin’s ascension up the rankings. He leaves Dublin in a much healthier position than when he joined. However, the work being done by clubs and the underage development squads have obviously also played an important role.

While this year ended in disappointment we enjoyed some incredible days during his term. At the start of May in 2011, Dublin captured their first National Hurling League Division 1 title since 1939 and we will never forget the joy of being crowned Leinster Senior Hurling Champions in 2013, ending a barren run in the province that stretched back 52 years. 16

Thanks also to Ciarán Hetherton, Richie Stakelum, Professor Chris Thompson and Ray Finn who were key individuals in Anthony’s management team for the full six years of his tenure.

Dublin Hurlers – Manufactured or The Real Deal?

To quote a famous wise man, there's only six inches between a pat on the back and a kick up the, eh, posterior. Or to paraphrase that same old sage, yesterday's swashbuckling hero is only ever two bad results away from disparaging judgement loaded with glib generalisations.

All of which brings us neatly to the Dublin hurlers. Safe to say you know them; you'll have read the obituaries, under the headline: "Pundits reflect on how Dublin's manufactured hurlers have passed their sell-by-date".

For the record, when Dublin were flavour-of-the-month back in June/July of 2013, a certain Black-and-Amber outfit had also - allegedly - ventured fatally beyond the point of obsolescence.

Forgive my digression, and back to the argument that Anthony Daly's team was essentially a collection of 'made' hurlers who lacked the innate or intuitive skills of touch, timing, vision and execution possessed by their counterparts in Kilkenny, Cork, Tipperary, etc.

Now, if you're to view in isolation the two-match box set that was the Leinster final against Kilkenny and All-Ireland quarter-final against Tipperary, you might veer towards such definitive conclusions.

But this is the same group that lit up last year's championship with its passion, precision and poise; that overcame the two most recent All-Ireland champions, Clare and Kilkenny, in this year's league; that looked a serious championship proposition as recently as Wexford Park last June.

Maybe, in retrospect, they succumbed to a certain staleness as summer unfolded .......... but Anthony Daly owes us nothing after six epic seasons. Now it's up to Ger Cunningham to take up the baton and enliven a talented group that, I firmly believe, still has plenty to offer. 17

Paudie O'Neill, the Tipperary senior coach who was at the capital's underage hurling coalface for many years, summed it up succinctly a few months back when suggesting that Dublin has a 'manufactured' tradition, rather than manufactured hurlers. Thirty years ago, he reminded, there was basically no hurling in Ballyboden St. Enda's.

To quote Paudie: "You can describe it as an artificially induced environment, but everybody involved deserved great credit because they had to actually work extremely hard to create that. The essential difference down here is that in the traditional hurling counties, hurling is more part of the community. In Dublin, it is still getting to that stage."

But one fallow summer won't deter us. When Dublin overwhelmed Kilkenny in the 2011 league final, or Galway in the 2013 Leinster final, no one was talking about "manufactured hurlers".

Hurling Penalties – Time for more tinkering

Games evolve, managers or players devise cunning new ways to exploit grey areas in the Official Guide ... and that means the rule book must evolve too, merely to keep pace with change. So it is with the penalty in hurling.

After the summer just witnessed, we suspect, there must be a mounting majority who favour yet another rule change - this time enshrined by Congress - whereby a penalty becomes a battle of wits between just two players, the shot-taker and the goalkeeper.

True, both Patrick Horgan (for Cork against Clare) and Joe Canning (for Galway against Kilkenny) underlined last June that it's still possible for elite marksmen to find the net from the 20m line or beyond. But these bullets have become something of an exception, reaching a barren climax in the All-Ireland final when two different, and usually quite lethal, Tipperary forwards had their penalties saved. Then, in the replay, one of those same forwards felt compelled to tap over a 57th minute penalty when a goal would have edged Tipperary ahead.

Why the reticence? It is blindingly obvious. When Anthony Nash led the way with his unique lift-and-strike technique, he effectively turned a 20m penalty into a 13m shot on goal. You've got to admire his ingenuity but it posed genuine health-and-safety issues for the 18

players in the way, even more so when 'keepers responded by charging at the taker - cue Stephen O'Keeffe's painful repelling of a Nash penalty last June.

The GAA hierarchy acted swiftly and correctly after that watershed save to re-interpret the penalty rule. That saved us from any festering controversy during the rest of the championship ... but it's now clear that the odds have tilted away from the attacking team. This will only encourage backs to commit cynical fouls, even if it means conceding a penalty that - chances are - won't result in a goal.

If his goalkeeper was left isolated on his line, instead of having two colleagues for company, the defender might be (marginally) less inclined to make that foul. And if he still did? At least the penalty-taker, even from 20 metres, would have a better shot at punishing him.

The Black Card – Saviour or Sinner?

It’s always instructive to remind yourself what you penned in the past before wading in with two size-12 feet. So, just to clarify, Dublin favoured the 'black card' before its introduction and remains strongly committed to the GAA's anti-cynicism drive.

Twelve months ago, in welcoming its arrival, I cautioned: "It would be naive to view the black card as a total panacea. So long as teams pick and choose their ‘cynical’ moments, they should be able to keep 15 men on the pitch most of the time. For the black card to succeed, referees must prove up to the job of differentiating between deliberate cynicism and an ‘accidental’ foul, otherwise chaos could reign…. "

That brings us to the kernel of this debate. The fear among sceptics was that some referees would brandish black like it was going out of fashion, with players forced to walk the plank either for innocently mis-timed tackles or fouls that weren't categorised in the rule.

This hasn't happened. What has transpired, however, is that some referees have gone the other way, erring on the side of caution (every pun intended!) by flashing yellow when players have committed blatant black card offences. Or, in some cases, by issuing no cards at all. 19

This has happened at every level of football - including the highest of all, towards the business end of the All-Ireland senior championship.

We accept that referees must be satisfied that a deliberate transgression has occurred. Yet, there were at least a couple of high-profile summer examples where blatant pull-downs resulted in stonewall penalties - but no card. Moreover, these non-decisions, arguably, had a direct influence on the ensuing outcome.

After the inter-county season concluded, Croke Park released statistics revealing a 9.5pc rise in the average number of scores per Senior Football Championship game in 2014; a free count reduction of more than five per game; a dramatic drop in yellow cards and a championship average of less than one black card per game. All to be welcomed. But statistics don't always convey the full picture.

Hopefully, as the rule fully beds in, we'll see more consistency of application …... although the bottom line, with the black card as with every other rule, is that ultimately it boils down to interpretation and no two humans referee in the same way.

Does Hurling need a Black Card / Advantage Rule?

After the recent relentless trend of All-Ireland hurling final classics, it may strike you as churlish to even pose the above question. Why tinker with a product that keeps on giving? Why foist some rule book foible that belongs to football onto a game that's working perfectly well?

Well, I'm not saying hurling definitely needs a black card but the notion shouldn't be completely laughed out of court either. Games evolve and the rule book needs to keep pace with change, especially where cynicism lurks, unimpeded.

And don't tell me the mindset of a hurler is intrinsically different to that of a footballer. The elite are, by instinct, winners. They hate losing and will do what it takes to avoid such a fate - especially if there is no proper deterrent.

I don't like singling out individual players but it was intriguing to observe the differing reactions to what Tyrone footballer Seán Cavanagh did against Monaghan in 2013 and an 20

incident in a high profile hurling championship game this summer which, in my opinion, qualified as a blatant 'professional' foul aimed at preventing a clear goal chance.

Seán Cavanagh was accorded pariah status by a certain pundit and his foul conflated into a symbol of the win-at-all-costs attitude afflicting modern football. Yet there was only a minor commotion - no more - over the despairing yet every-bit-as-intentional infraction in the hurling game. If the hurling player was an inter-county footballer, he would have received a black card (we presume, although that's open to question on this year's evidence); moreover, his team would have been reduced to 14 men as he was already carrying a yellow. Could anyone have reasonably argued with such an outcome?

The above snapshot is just one example of where hurling could actually benefit from a black card deterrent - even more so if the current penalty rule isn't amended to tilt the balance back in favour of the attacking team, instead of encouraging the fouler.

Here's another area where hurling could learn a thing or two from its big ball cousin. The advantage rule. It works. It favours the attacker. It punishes the cynic. Just go for it!

Club Finals in December - A Christmas Fairytale?

As I write, our own county championships had drawn to a climax in sufficient time to let our standard-bearers compete in the Leinster club competitions. Other counties have not been so fortunate, with our counterparts in both Wexford and Tipperary succumbing to fixture backlogs with the result that neither was represented at provincial club Senior Football Championship level this winter.

Now, Dublin is scarcely in a position to lecture, given how the Leinster Council has come to our aid in the relatively recent past with a sympathetic fixture re-scheduling. Moreover, only 12 months ago, we had to fix the Senior Football Championship final replay for a Wednesday night - three days after the original draw - to ensure our champions made it to the starting line in Leinster.

Incredibly, St Vincent's conquered that three-games-in-a-week mountain to ultimately end up as All-Ireland champions. Yet, clearly, no sports scientist would recommend this as the optimum route to glory. 21

What the above examples underline is the difficulty faced by many counties - especially those who are successful at inter-county level with a sizable percentage of dual club players - in completing their internal championships by the end of October. It's a race against the provincial championship clock.

Now, in its wisdom and starting from 2016, the GAA has proposed that the All-Ireland club championships should be completed in the same calendar year. In other words, county, provincial and All-Ireland series, all done and dusted by mid-December.

In theory it's a perfectly valid aspiration, and there is no doubting that prolonging the elite club season until St Patrick's Day causes its own share of headaches for the clubs involved, their counties, and indeed for the overall fixtures calendar.

But will it work in practice? Can all counties hope to meet this demanding schedule, given the conflicting demands of the inter-county season? Will enough people be willing to compromise? More pointedly, will Croke Park grab the bull by the horns and restrict the length of the inter-county season, thus offering sufficient leeway for the clubs?

Finally, this altered schedule will lead us to another inevitable crux …... the inter-county dual star is on the verge of extinction (there were several high-profiles demises in recent weeks) but, even at club level, players who excel at both codes may have to start making some very hard choices.

Financial Equalisation equals Anti-Dublin Prejudice

Let me set the record straight: the Dublin County Committee has no issue with Croke Park offering additional financial support to help so-called weaker counties in their quest to keep pace with the stronger units.

But let me be equally blunt: this should not come at a direct monetary cost to Dublin.

Our esteemed chairman, Andy Kettle, made a very cogent argument to the media last August, when word emerged of proposals to reduce the level of funding that Dublin receives from central coffers. 22

"If we don't continue to do what we're doing and go backwards, you have the possibility of an area with a fifth of the population of the country becoming a wasteland for GAA," Andy predicted, going on to say: "We've no problem in increased funding to other counties. In fact, at a recent Croke Park meeting, Dublin spoke strongly in favour of such an initiative for weaker counties whereby specific things like strength and conditioning, dieticians, all the auxiliary things, would be funded by the central organisation - to give those counties an opportunity to improve their playing standards. We have absolutely no problem with and are fully behind that - but not at our expense."

It can be galling to hear some prominent GAA people decry the growth of this Dublin 'dynasty' while insisting that our capital's flagship football team should be divided in two (why stop there, you could hang, draw and quarter us?) and that all central funding of GAA activity in the capital must cease forthwith because of our allegedly endless sponsorship booty.

Remember, it's not so long ago since equally prominent GAA people were decrying the absence of any football or hurling presence in large tracts of the city. A concerted, focussed effort was launched to rectify this ...... now, when Dublin gets its house in order and success starts to flow, most notably at U21 and senior football level, the inference is that we should stop doing the right things or even be handicapped from doing so.

During the summer on several occasions turning on sports programmes on the radio and scanning the sports pages of several papers it was like a national focus group had been formed in order to, as it was termed on radio, "halt the Dublin juggernaut".

All sorts of measures to ‘hamstring’ Dublin were suggested with contributors just stopping short of suggesting the ‘King Herod Solution’ which would put a cap on the number of young males allowed in any household!

Building positive social capital

There are large parts of Dublin City and County where an active involvement in Gaelic games is low. Areas where the awareness of our senior inter-county teams is probably high when the teams are going well on summer days but where this interest is not harnessed into something more enduring. Gaelic games can be a gateway to help build positive social capital 23

in these areas. The challenge is there for the County Board and National Agencies / Local Authorities to devise policies and strategies to penetrate these areas of our capital to develop a more active interest in our national games.

Sky Deal / Sports Tourism

Much has been written about the GAA's attempts to broaden the appeal and bring hugely attractive games to international audiences over the last 12 months.

Indeed some of the commentary bordered on hysterical predicting a doomsday scenario before what is, in essence, a trial had even begun. If nothing else it was a direction worth trialling before a full assessment can be made when the current arrangements run their course in two years’ time.

As ever in this country there was a concerted effort from some quarters to work up a frenzy on the subject as The Magi on such matters launched a 'Down with that sort of thing' campaign.

But have their fears been realised? I don't think so but only time will truly tell.

Already the benefit of ‘internationalising’ the games is apparent. More than 400,000 got the opportunity to see top level hurling on All-Ireland final day in Britain alone. It's fair to say, I'd argue, that a large number of these people had never encountered the game before, never mind seen it live. Certainly the reaction on social media would suggest so. The reaction to our games was highly positive, and why wouldn't it be?

GAAGO has been a great success in the first year of its roll-out and while these arrangements primarily serve Irish people abroad, they have the potential to bring our games to people who haven't seen them before. There are possible spin-offs from these developments.

Firstly, they project the country in an extremely positive light shining a torch on elite sporting athletes who operate in a unique amateur setting. They highlight the activities of the GAA and they underline a strand of our culture that is unique to the island. 24

Secondly, they also make the possibility of sporting tourism a distinct possibly. The practice of Irish people attending sporting events when abroad is common place and why shouldn't the same be true when visitors come to our country?

Tourists can only attend games they know exist and the best way to interact with a sporting code is to see it played at its brilliant best - on television in the first instance and, hopefully, in the flesh thereafter.

This could have very obvious benefits - not only for the GAA but for the Irish economy as a whole - and it would be foolhardy not to pursue these opportunities and tease them out fully.

Michael Delaney

Michael Delaney announced his retirement after the conclusion of the Leinster Championships. The GAA owe a debt of gratitude to Michael for his passionate commitment and loyalty to our games. It is fair to say that most people will never really know how much Michael has contributed, in a very unassumingly way, to our organisation behind the scenes.

Michael always had a keen interest in the strengthening of the Association in Dublin and was always available to meet clubs and offer the support of the Leinster Council. We wish him health and happiness in the future. I wish to thank him for his measured advice, support and friendship over the years.

Games Promotion Officers

The deployment of Games Promotion Officers (GPOs) within clubs / communities in Dublin has provided a resource, which if managed and utilised in an efficient manner, can support the volunteers in providing a games and skill development programme that will increase our participation numbers within Dublin. The ethos of our Association is that we are a voluntary led organisation and it is essential to the long-term viability of this deployment that we have management structures, which reflect this ethos.

The single most important element of the GPO scheme is the steering committee within clubs. The capacity of the initiative to deliver real value for each club is determined by the focus and drive that these steering committees bring. Each club has its own individual challenges and the capacity of the steering committee to address these challenges, with the 25

deployment of the GPO, and to set up sustainable structures within the coaching and games element of the club is essential.

The area of nursery development has been central to the activities of GPOs over the last number of years. We have achieved growth rates in excess of 20% year each year and the challenge is to maintain these figures, maintain the excellent juvenile games programme and to recruit the appropriate mentors to facilitate these growing numbers. The recruitment of these new volunteers and the on-going development of our current volunteers should, I believe, be our number one focus. The capacity to deliver on this focus will determine our ability to continue to grow. The Coaching and Games Development Committee, in conjunction with the clubs, must continue to analyse each component of work that the GPO carries out.

Cumann na mBunscol / Second Level Schools

I wish to again thank the contribution made by first and second level teachers to the promotion of Gaelic Games in Dublin and to remind all clubs that co-operation between clubs and their local schools is one of the most important ways of both developing our players. Clubs and schools should complement each other as we seek to both promote our games and make our young players into life-long members of the GAA in Dublin.

Unfortunately, it must be noted that in the most recent re-negotiation of the Public Service Pay Agreements ("Haddington Road") none of the extra hours required of teachers has been given over to the promotion of Gaelic Games, or indeed any sport, even as a token of the Government’s appreciation for the work done by teachers to promote health and fitness amongst the youth of the nation.

In an era of increasing childhood obesity this would seem to be short-sighted. Even a token acknowledgement of the work done by teachers, who offer many multiples of the hours required of them in the Haddington Road Agreement for free, would, I am sure, improve the morale and enthusiasm of the people charged with promoting our games in schools across the county. 26

Féile Competitions

Uachtarán Liam O’Neill outlined at Congress 2013 that a review of how the Féile tournaments were organised was necessary to ensure that they were player centred and fit for purpose. A Questionnaire was issued to all clubs and written submissions were invited from all counties. The vast majority of respondents felt that there was a requirement for change.

The main findings in the report was that the concept of clubs coming together for a festival of Gaelic Games must continue but that it needed to be done on a more inclusive basis. It was agreed that every club in the country should have an opportunity to participate in a Féile tournament. Three types of tournaments were arranged on designated Féile weekends: National Féile tournament, Regional Féile tournaments and an all-inclusive Provincial Féile tournaments.

The revised competition format resulted in much greater participation by clubs all over the country. Fifteen Dublin clubs participated in the football tournaments and eighteen clubs travelled to the hurling events.

Garda Vetting

The National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 is the vetting legislation passed by the Houses of the Oireachtas in December 2012. This legislation is part of a suite of complementary legislative proposals to strengthen child protection policies and practices in Ireland.

Once the ‘Vetting Bureau Act’ commences, the law on vetting becomes formal and obligatory and all organisations and their volunteers / staff who work with children and vulnerable adults will be legally obliged to have their personnel vetted. Such personnel must be vetted prior to the commencement of their work with their Association or Sports body.

It is important to note that, prior to the Act commencing, GAA policy stated that all persons who in a role in working with children and vulnerable adults had to be vetted. This applies to those who work with underage players. The term ‘underage’ applies to any player who is under 18 years of age, regardless of what team they play with. The introduction of compulsory vetting, on an All-Ireland scale through legislation, merely formalises our previous policy and practice. 27

In the context of the GAA those members, i.e. coaches, trainers, mentors, parents and others who provide services to children and vulnerable adults, on behalf of the Association, and who are in direct contact with children or vulnerable persons in the GAA, must be vetted. It should be noted that it will be illegal for an individual to put themselves forward to work with children or vulnerable adults before successfully completing the Garda Vetting Bureau process.

As a policy of best practice, it is strongly recommended that Officers of Committees that oversee underage and juvenile activities at Club level should also be vetted, as should referees of underage games.

The Club Children’s Officer should obtain a list of all persons in their Club who currently, on behalf of the Association, work with underage players or vulnerable adults. The Officer then checks this list against the names of people in their Club who to date have been satisfactorily vetted by the GAA. This enables them to identify if there are any gaps in the list of people vetted, when compared with the list of those working with underage players. If there are any gaps, then these people should be required to immediately submit a vetting application form as per normal channels.

Sports Capital Programme

The Sports Capital Programme, which is the main channel of Government support for developing sports facilities and purchasing sports equipment for sports clubs and organisations across Ireland, reopened in January 2014.

Thanks to these grants, people have more opportunities than ever to get active and stay involved in a wide range of sports, not just Gaelic Games. It also has a positive impact on job creation such as construction. A welcome improvement in the 2014 Programme was the reduction in the minimum amount of matching funding that clubs and organisations required in order to apply for a grant. Many of our clubs received grants and much needed facilities are being developed. 28

Sponsorship

Our thanks to AIG for their commitment and support to the Board since we announced our sponsorship partnership in late 2013. Their promotions during the year were innovative and of huge assistance to us and they certainly added to the match day experience for fans. Thanks, in particular, to CEO, Declan O’Rourke, and Marketing and Sponsorship Manager, John Gillick, for their support. The nature of the AIG deal means that for the first time ever, the Dublin Ladies football and Camogie teams are now under the one sponsorship umbrella.

Thanks also to the Herald for publishing a weekly supplement and to Coca Cola for being our Official Sports Drink Partner. O’Neills supply playing apparel for our county teams and the excellent service from Tony Towell and his staff is much appreciated. We are also indebted to a number of other sponsors who provide valuable financial assistance to the County Committee.

Tomás Quinn was appointed Commercial and Marketing Manager following a very competitive process. Tomás’ appointment brings additional expertise across a range of sectors and his awareness of the requirements of the County Board, in terms of sponsorship, and the demands on inter-county players makes him perfectly suited for the role. We are making good progress with our various inter-county teams, but also off the field of play we believe that we have a brand that is working very well for our current group of sponsors and partners but is also a very attractive proposition to other companies.

All Ticket Matches

This year we were involved in a total of 18 all-ticket games commencing with the Spring Series and concluding on 27th September with the replay of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final. The demand for tickets during the summer months places a heavy burden on the staff, particularly when games are scheduled for consecutive weeks. The collection and reconciliation of payments are also very time-consuming. The co-operation of all the clubs was appreciated, especially the individual club co-ordinators who have the unenviable task of satisfying their members requests. A special word of thanks to Fiona Waters for her exemplary commitment and assistance for the duration of the ticket season. 29

Competitions Control Committee

The CCC publishes their annual fixtures plan so that players can organise their other pursuits in tandem with their GAA commitments. This is becoming increasingly challenging for the Committee due to the timing of certain inter-county competitions, combined with the length of the inter-county season. Discontent is growing amongst the average club player because of this. In previous years, players found it difficult to motivate themselves to go back training early in the New Year when their fixtures have just concluded immediately prior to Christmas.

The CCC has successfully dealt with the culture that existed in some clubs to get games postponed for frivolous reasons. This eliminated the backlog of fixtures that existed in previous years. All adult competitions were completed in October and November. The minor and U21 competitions are reaching the concluding stages and some finals will be played in January 2015.

As outlined in our Strategic Review Report, the greatest drop-out of people playing our games is in the 16 - 21 age gap and the key challenge is to ensure that there is sufficient competition at all levels for these players. I would suggest that more games be scheduled for minor players during the year.

I wish to thank Michael Seavers and Donie Kerin for the marvellous voluntary service to the GAA in Dublin. They devoted an enormous amount of time to their roles of Chairman and Vice-Chairman respectively of the CCC. I consider that these two posts are among the most onerous positions in the county. They are ably supported by John McNicholas who handles hundreds of phone-calls at various times of the day and night. At all times, the CCC acted impartially and had the best interests of the GAA at heart.

Inter-Club Transfers

GAA Clubs rely on the support of volunteers. If it wasn’t for their help, enthusiasm, talent and commitment, on top of their full-time jobs, clubs wouldn’t even exist. Team mentors invest their time in coaching young players and take great pride in these players reaching adult status and possible county representation. The more talented players from clubs participating in the lower divisions are often targeted by top Division 1 clubs to boost their 30

squads to achieve championship success. If these transfers are approved, it often has a detrimental effect on the morale of the club/team affected.

All clubs should look at the "bigger picture" when processing transfer applications. Before a Club Secretary signs the transfer application for an incoming player, the Club Executive should contact the player’s club to discuss the situation with their counterparts. Regretfully this does not happen and I would encourage a greater respect for the work that each club does. In certain cases, transfers are instigated by a Team Manager who, in many circumstances, is a hired hand. Club Officers should not delegate authority to their team managers to recruit members to their club.

Grounds

Requests for the use of our County Ground continue to increase. Apart from our local competitions at adult and juvenile level, our grounds are utilised by Central and Leinster Council, Dublin and Leinster Colleges, Third Level, Camogie and Ladies Football Organisations, Cumann na mBunscol and Fingal Primary Schools.

Parnell Park was in excellent condition for the majority of the 168 games played at the venue during the year, despite the extremes of weather. I am indebted to our grounds-man, Noel Brady, for his efforts. Everyone wants to have the pitch in pristine condition for their game but no natural playing surface can cope with our comprehensive schedule without damage to the pitch.

Accordingly, at certain times of the year, it is necessary to close Parnell Park in particular. While it is understandable that the majority of clubs wish to play important games in Parnell Park, it is not possible to host all adult finals there, although every effort is made to host juvenile finals.

Attendances at the majority of championship games in Parnell Park were extremely disappointing during the year. It was remarkable to witness the mass exodus of spectators after some games, as a second attractive fixture was about to commence. The County Board and clubs both need to look at ways of promoting the games - both to club members and members of the public - through publicity in the club, around the local community, as well as media outlets like local newspapers and radio stations. 31

A special word of thanks to Patsy Kiernan for his attention to Parnell Park. His willingness to cater for the games programme, training sessions and all committee meetings is very much appreciated. Patsy also arranges a Coffee Morning in aid of St. Francis Hospice and a Mass for Deceased Members in Parnell Park annually. A sum of €8,000 was collected and donated to St. Francis Hospice this year, bringing the total amount raised to date since this initiative commenced to a staggering €10,000.

The numerous games programmes staged in Parnell Park entails a significant amount of time for the essential preparation and planning. This involves communicating with all the statutory agencies to ensure the safety of all our patrons. I am also indebted to the very small team of regular stewards for their assistance, their attention to their different duties and their courtesy to our patrons, all of which adds to the presentation of our games.

I would appeal to clubs to provide additional stewards for Parnell Park and to co-operate with requests from stewards. I would also appeal to Club Officers to instruct their club management teams to co-operate with the stewards on match days and, in particular, to control their antics on the sideline during the course of a game.

Players Injury Scheme

The GAA has operated an injury scheme in one way or another since 1929. Throug