Clubs unhappy with postponement

Delegates from a number of Meath GAA clubs were unhappy with the late postponement of Monday night’s scheduled meeting organised by the Co Board to discuss the development plans for Páirc Tailteann.

The meeting, postponed on Saturday, had been organised as a follow up to an earlier gathering in October that was attended by the chairman, secretary and treasurer of each affiliated club.
It is understood that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss in more detail the plans and the finances for the proposed redevelopment of Páirc Tailteann for which planning permission is currently being sought.
“In relation to Monday’s meeting a number of clubs requested more time to discuss the project with their members,” Meath Co Board PRO Martin O’Halloran told the Meath Chronicle on Saturday.
“No new date for the meeting has been set, it’s possible at this stage that a meeting will be scheduled after the annual convention,” added the PRO who will step down from his role under the five-year rule at the annual convention on Monday 11th December.
At the convention a new chairman will be elected as out-going chairman Conor Tormey is also obliged to step down having completed five years in the role, there are three nominees for the position - Peter O’Halloran, Eamonn Barry and Francis Flynn.
Following contact by the Meath Chronicle, it appears that a number of clubs are unhappy that last Monday night’s meeting was cancelled at short notice.
There also appears to be a growing amount of dissatisfaction amongst club officials about the financial burden that the current proposals from the Co Board will create.
“We would support the development of Pairc Tailteann in a sustainable manner, but not one that puts the onus on clubs for raising more finance,” commented Cortown official Colm Smith.
“Our club convened a meeting with our members to discuss the project after the October meeting and we were ready to attend on Monday night.
“It would be beneficial if the postponed meeting could be scheduled before the annual convention, it should be possible to convene a meeting for that purpose as this is a very important matter for the clubs,” he added.
Last April, support from clubs was sought for the estimated €300,000 planning permission costs in relation to the Páirc Tailteann project.
At the meeting attended by the chairman, secretary and treasurer of each club on Monday 23rd October, the clubs were informed that Meath Co Board would be financing that element of the expenditure.
That was where the good news ended and the club officials were then asked to support a longer-term project that would commit them to a potential 12-year repayment package of some €6,000 annually per club.
This is a serious issue for all clubs, but particularly the smaller, more rural clubs according to Kilskyre chairman Tom Gilsenan.
“Clubs have committed to supporting the Dunganny development with annual repayments of €120,000 for another seven years and now we are asked to commit to increasing this to €400,000 annually for 12 years,” stated the Kilskyre chairman.
“That will take us up to 2030, for the clubs that survive, but I would fear for many of them, including our own, if this proposal goes ahead,” he added.