County Football Board set for a minor face-lift

THE face of Limerick football officialdom will change next week with three elections at the County Football Board Annual Convention.
But it’s not a total face-lift with just one of the six people standing for election not a member of the out-going football executive. However that candidate is not a newcomer to Limerick GAA either as Gerry Philips is an out-going County Board officer. The County Football Board Convention has been postponed for 24 hours to Thursday, November 25 in the Woodland’s House Hotel due to a clash with the West Board Convention the previous night.
At the annual football gathering Sean McAuliffe and Michael Sheahan will go head to head to become the new chairman and following in the footsteps of John Galvin, Owen Hayes and Billy Ahern.
Hospital-Herbertstown clubman McAuliffe is the out-going football secretary while Monaleen man Sheahan is the out-going vice-chairman.
The battle for vice-chairman is also between two out-going officers - Pat O’Shaughnessy (Glin) is the out-going Football Development Officer while James Moynihan (South Libertes) is the out-going assistant secretary.
Two candidates are also battling it out for the role of secretary.
Mungret’s Colette O’Grady is the out-going PRO while her opposition is Monagea’s Gerry Philips who has to step down after completing his maximum five years as the County Board Coaching Officer.
It is most unusual that all six places on the Football Board will change at the same time.
Out-going chairman John Galvin becomes the new assistant secretary.
Two new faces to the boardroom of Limerick football are Patrick Keane of Newcastle West and Brian Kelly of Na Piarsaigh.
Twenty-six-year-old Keane becomes the youngest ever member of the Football Board when he starts as Football Development Officer. A teacher by trade, Keane was a selector with the Limerick under-14 side this season. The other newcomer Brian Kelly assumes the role of PRO, replacing the hugely efficient Colette O’Grady.

Bord na nOg
Limerick County Bord na nOg have taken issue with comments made to Leader Sport last week by Owen O’Neill, chairman of the group proposing the establishment of a Hurling Board for Limerick.
“It was erroneously stated that County Bord na nOg are in receipt of over €450,000 in funding from Bord Coiste Luimni. This is not correct,” said County Bord na nOg chairman Tony Roche.
“Bord na nOg receive approx €25,000 per annum from Bord Coiste Luimni, these are the only monies we receive from the County Senior Bord for which we are most grateful in addition to monies we receive from sponsorship and gate receipts throughout the year,” explained the chairman.
He added: “Coaching comes under the remit of County Games and Coaching and is not the responsibility of County Bord na nOg.”
Owen O’Neill had claimed that the issue of monies spent on coaching was a concern that a number of clubs had addressed to members of his group.
“The County Board indicated recently that over €450,0000 annually was spent on Bord na nOg coaching and mentoring.
“This is a major sum of money and schools and clubs throughout the county have expressed concern with the distribution of the funds and the actual quality of the coaching - it is best practise that coaching be monitored thoroughly and progress reports relayed to all units of the association in the county regularly,” said Owen O’Neill last week.

Jerome O’Connell