[caption id="attachment_69356" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Emma Clarke of New York tries to evade the challenge by Wicklow's Aoife Heffernan during the replayed final at Croke Park."]
The Ladies Gaelic Football Association of New York held their annual convention on Sunday at the Riverdale Steakhouse. The event was very well attended with all the clubs having their full quota of delegates plus all the outgoing officers were also in attendance.
Rosie O’Reilly, the chairperson, in her address stated that it was a very positive, productive and enjoyable year for ladies football. She recapped on the main events of the year, noting that all the competitions were very competitive with plenty of good football on display. In addition the chairperson, noted that the involvement of the famed Ballymacarbary team in the seven-side competition was a major boost. Development continued to be emphasized at the youth level as there were a number of very successful blitzes organized.
She also stated that New York’s representation in the CYC continues to grow as do the successes in the competition. The Feile team also continues to acquit themselves well in Ireland but unfortunately outright success still evades them. However the chairperson noted that the young players eagerly look forward to this occasion and regard it as a very educational and enjoyable experience. The introduction of the u 23 competition appeared to have gone very well as this acted as an important stepping stone for many of the players to the senior ranks.
Naturally the highlight of the season was the return of the ladies to the All-Ireland junior competition. The chairperson cum player noted that despite the rigors of training, the tiring effects of travel, the individual sacrifices and the interrupted schedules, it was an immensely enjoyable adventure. She paid tribute to the great commitment of the players and the management, stressing that given that they came so close last year, the cup will be on a voyage across the Atlantic this year.
There definitely is a sense of unfinished business here and plans are already underway to rectify that, as the local competitions will be finished earlier so that there will be more time to prepare. Now that the ladies were on the threshold of victory, their appetites have been well and truly wetted. Rosie also addressed the issue of finances and she was very happy to report that despite the great costs incurred by the three trips to Ireland, there was no residual debt. This certainly was a remarkable achievement which the chairperson attributed to the Trojan efforts of the fundraising committee, the great generosity of the Irish and Irish-American communities plus the subventions from the men’s board and grants from the ladies association in Ireland. She also noted that the availability of Gaelic Park and the use of the Rockland facilities were greatly appreciated by the management and players.
Rosie also paid tribute to the winners of the different competitions as well as the honorees at the dinner dance, which was a resounding success. In concluding her remarks the chairperson thanked all the officers, the various committees, the delegates, players, managers and officials, noting that they all played key roles in making her job easier but more importantly creating a very successful and sporting year on the playing fields.
Once the annual addresses and reports were finished with, there were a number of motions for debate. Most of the motions were just minor adjustments to existing rules and were ushered through with a minimum of debate or argumentation. However there were a few that certainly got the full attention of the delegates and generated some vigorous discussion. The Fermanagh Club proposed that no summer sanctioned players be allowed this year. Their argument was that given the youth development program there should be plenty of players in New York to fill the team rosters. Their position was also bolstered by the assertion that summer players prevent the younger players from getting an opportunity to play. According to this viewpoint the summer players hinder the development process and hurt the chances of the fringe players holding down a permanent spot on a team.
However the opponents of the motion countered with the notion that as the summer players are generally of a higher skill level, their participation in the competition benefits all players. In essence it is the adage that a rising tide will lift all boats. Still it is hard to see how sitting on a bench will raise your skill level, though you can also argue that practicing and training with better players will improve your performance. The issue was eventually resolved as thirteen voted to keep the summer players while seven were against using them. The issue of the summer players has long been a nettlesome one with the men folk, with very similar arguments being bandied about for years. Still the summer players, like migrating birds, are a perennial feature of the Big Apple Gaelic sporting scene. It was also proposed to institute a new secondary competition with the explicit purpose of it being of a developmental nature.
Strangely a number of delegates wanted to be able to play their summer players in this competition despite the fact that it was designed to facilitate the fringe player and more likely the player who was dropped when the summer players came on board. Common sense eventually prevailed and the competition was voted in as designed, namely to facilitate the developing player and consequently maximize their playing opportunities.
Officers for 2012
The following officers were elected for the 2012 season: Chairperson Rosie O’Reilly, Vice-Chairperson Nollaig Cleary, Recording Secretary Erin Coughlan, Corresponding Secretary Margaret Kelly, Treasurer Breda Carroll, Assistant Treasurer Kelly Roche, Registrar Sharon Redican, Assistant Registrar Dean O’Connor, PRO 1 Annmarie Kelly, PRO 2 Niamh Britton, Development Officer Nollaig Cleary, Cultural and Language Officer Frank Brady, Children’s Officer Tony McTigue, Schedule Committee Nollaig Cleary and Rockland, Youth Board Chairman Tony Donnelly .
Roscommon AGM
The Roscommon Gaelic Football Club will hold their annual convention at the Riverdale Steakhouse on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 2:00. Players and members are requested to attend plus new players and members are also welcome. For further information contact Val McGlynn, J R Stack or Jimmy Naughton.
