This article is from page 92 of the 2008-12-16 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 92 JPG
BORD na nOg Iomiint is poised to have a greater role and say in the ad- ministration and operation of GAA matters in the county — that’s if the comments to the annual general meeting of the underage board made by Clare County Board secretary Pat Fitzgerald are to be believed.
This commitment was given to Bord na nOg delegates by Fitzgerald as he mounted a charm offensive on the top table of the board in the hope that the chairman Sean O’Halloran and secretary Rosaleen Monahan would row back from stepping down from their positions.
“They get very little recognition for what they do — you have people working at underage level three, four and five nights a week and they get no recognition. We do not give enough recognition for the contri- bution that is made by people who look after underage in the clubs and at Bord na nOg,” went Fitzgerald’s opening salvo.
“We are in an era of change and we’ve got to change. I started as sec- retary of Bord na nOg in 1983 and at that time I felt that we were basi- cally a fixtures committee. Twenty five years later they still have that
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‘“T think it’s time to reflect where we are going. If nothing else I would ap- peal to you the delegates to ask peo- ple on the top table, who are suggest- ing that they want to move, to remain with it and to effect the change that is needed and required in the future. I make that appeal to you the dele- gates. I think it would be a reflection on everybody if the expertise and the ability that they have and that they’ve built up over the years is allowed to go without using it.
“T believe it is necessary to change to bring Bord na nOg forward. Eve- ryone knows in business that if you’re not able to increase your business you’re going backwards. We haven’t been doing that and everybody in every club knows that.
“T would ask you at the top table to remain with it and to look at the possibility at bringing about change. The expertise and the experience that you have built up cannot be lost — it would be a capital sin to let it go and be lost. You have the ability and that would be lost to the association if you move on,” added Fitzgerald.