Passing of Dillon Quirke casts shadow over 2022 - Kennedy

By Shane Brophy

“When we reflect on 2022 Tipperary GAA people will remember the untimely passing of one of our rising star’s Dillion Quirke,” was how County Board Chairperson Joe Kennedy led with his address at County Convention on Sunday.

The Moyne-Templetuohy clubman, entering his third and final year in the role, said the coming together of the GAA for the Quirke family and Clonoulty/Rossmore GAA club highlighted what one big unit the Association is.

“Dillion’s passing illustrated the true meaning of the GAA which was shown through the unwavering support and friendship which was offered to the Quirke family and the Clonoulty/Rossmore Club in their greatest hour of need from GAA people across the country.

“It allowed us to reflect on the meaning of the game and to remember that winning is not the be-all and end-all. In the weeks following his funeral we saw how the return to the playing of games brought solace to those who mourned Dillon’s loss. Dillon will forever be remembered in Tipperary GAA circles.”

Split Season

2022 saw the completion of the first full split-season in the GAA and the county chairperson declared it a resounding success.

“Since the conclusion of the inter-county championship, there has been a lot of debate on the merits of the split season,” he said.

“It is impossible to please everyone with a fixtures program and all grades and codes want their slice of the pie. There are still only 52 weeks in the year and the split season is by far the best format to attempt to give every competition its place in the calendar.

“This has led to a more condensed season for all competitions but, in my view, it has worked well.

“The critics of the split season should go back a few years and examine the problems we had prior to its introduction. Inter-county players were torn between club and county games, trying to work with multiple managers and club players had to endure a stop start club campaign.

“The split season has brought clarity to fixtures. Club and county players know exactly when their games will be played and can plan accordingly. While both seasons may be condensed, players enjoy having games week after week rather than the unpredictable nature of the games before. When the inter-county season is over, players and spectators have total focus on the club games, and this will only enhance our club games in the future.”

Kennedy feels the GAA needs to become more confident in how changes will impact their games positively, rather than being fearful of the downside.

“One of the concerns is that we are leaving the door open for the promotion of soccer and rugby,” he added.

“It is fifty years since the ‘ban’ was removed and surely we can have a more mature level of debate without reference to this age-old fear. Our games have survived for more than 125 years and are strong enough to stand up to the challenges ahead. The rise in attendances at our club games across the county bear testament to the attraction of our club games and our club players deserve their allotted time for all the time and effort they put into preparing for games.

“The fear that the lack of inter-county games on TV is detrimental to the promotion of our games is nonsense. The games on TV might be the spark to light the imagination in our children’s minds but it is the work done by our schools and juvenile clubs that will drive the members playing GAA in the future.

“The thing that amuses me most is that the people who were critical of the GAA for not implementing a split season earlier are the ones who are most critical of it now.

“The key to the future of the split season is investment in more sand based and floodlit pitches. With more of our games being played in September and October the need for lights for mid-week and Friday matches will increase. While every county needs county grounds of acceptable standards for home games, I think we need to have a practical approach in the future and build or renovate grounds in a fashion that are not a drain on the association. I would urge the GAA to prioritise investment in grants for clubs and counties to provide more floodlit all-weather pitches.”

Inter-County

Silverware are inter-county level was scarce in 2022 with the minor footballers winning the Daryl Darcy Cup in Munster, but the minor hurlers claimed the limelight with their terrific performances on route to the final, particularly against Clare and Galway, before beating Offaly in the All-Ireland Final with almost the last puck of the game.

“The performances of our minor hurlers brought great delight to our supporters and their victory in the All-Ireland Final will live long in the memory of all Tipperary followers,” Kennedy said.

“The most pleasing aspect of the games was the display of sheer resilience and mental strength shown by all the players throughout the season.

“Congratulations to James Woodlock and all his players and backroom team. Over 40 clubs had representation on both minor panels.

“This is evidence of the work of our academy coaches, that they identify our best players irrespective of what club they come from. This reassures all players that they will get their opportunity to play for their County if they meet the required standard.

“At academy level, all our teams performed very well in all their respective competitions. Performing well in these competitions is no guarantee of future success but it is a barometer of where we are in relation to other counties, and we can be satisfied that we are competing with the best.

“Earlier this year, we launched a new schools Primary Coaching funding model. This copper-fastened our desire to have a coach in every school in the county. It is vital we have a presence in the schools and in partnership with our clubs we now provide coaching to all the boys and girls in primary school. Thanks to Kevin Hally and his staff for the implementation of this scheme.

“At academy level, we have approximately 200 players in athletic development programs with Setanta College. These players are the future for club and county in the coming years.

“I would like to complement our Games Development for organising four hurling workshops over the last month. Educating coaches will only improve our players and games in the future. There are four football sessions planned for the Spring. During the year, ten extra tutors were secured to deliver coaching courses to clubs. I would encourage clubs to hold courses to develop coaching within their club.

“At national level, a new funding model for games development was announced. I welcome this new scheme and it will deliver three new GDA’s in the New Year. There will also be a budget in the plan for spending on strategic initiatives. The extra GDA’s will greatly enhance the work being done by the existing staff and will allow GDA’s to do more work in our clubs.”

Referee abuse

The Chairperson also used his second address to draw attention to the continued abuse of referees and officials, which is starting to impact on the games schedule with the number of referees available falling year on year.

“The abuse of our officials at games unfortunately draws a dark cloud on our association,” Kennedy said.

“This is an ongoing problem and requires a cultural change of mindset from everyone involved in our games. Too often the defence offered for individuals who abuse officials is that they are passionate about the game. There is a subtle difference between passion and ignorance.

“We all have a part to play to eliminate this abuse. Team mentors, supporters and media need to be more careful in their after-match analysis of games as the referee seems to be the first person to blame when a team loses. Officers of clubs need to remind their members of the consequences for the club and mentors if they are reported for abuse.

“I would urge all referees to show more solidarity with each other. Some referees are too quick to criticise fellow referees when their club or county are involved in games. There is enough negative commentary on refereeing without past or present referees criticising performances of fellow referees.

“I welcome the new proposed penalties and hope that these will help to deter more of the incidents we witnessed this year.”

Outgoing Officers

Sunday’s Convention saw two of the main three officer roles change hands with Tim Floyd presenting his sixteenth and final report as secretary prior to standing down at the end of the year, while Michael Power also stepped away as treasurer after completing his seven-year term, succeeded by Eleanor Lahart from Killenaule.

“I want to pay special thanks to our Treasurer Michael Power and Secretary Tim Floyd for a lifetime of service to Tipperary GAA,” Kennedy added.

“Michael, through his many roles with the football board and as treasurer of this board, has given sterling service to the GAA and he can be very proud of his service.

“Tim started with the Tipperary GAA Draw 35 years ago and spent sixteen years as Secretary. He has done trojan work in both roles and has always carried out his duties in an efficient and pleasant manner. Tim’s expertise and knowledge will be a huge loss to our Board. I wish to thank him for his service and wish him well for the future.

“I would like to welcome Murtagh Brennan to his role as our new CEO. Murtagh brings a wealth of management experience and will be a huge addition to Tipperary GAA going forward.”