Supporting the cause
December 30, 2010
From the time of the county's football re-awakening in 1979, Monaghan fans have shown their true colours, time after time. Their support of the County Supporters Club is a case in point
For Mary Kerr-Conlon, Chairperson of the Monaghan Supporters Club, achieving success is all about the collective rather than the individual.
She maintains that, at least in the world of Gaelic games, working the oracle can be achieved by breaking down a mammoth task into a plethora of smaller, more manageable tasks and overcoming them.
The erstwhile Club Secretary reckons "some big tasks" lie ahead for Monaghan GAA in 2011 but, in describing 2010 as a "very good year" is confident that the Oriel's finest will rise to the occasion(s) this year.
"There will a lot of work for everyone to do, for the footballers and the hurlers and the handballers and for everyone on the administration and coaching side of things but if we all continue to work together, a lot of goals can be achieved," Mary maintains.
"I sincerely hope we can continue to keep rowing in the same direction. My experience in terms of my club involvement and with the Supporters Club tells me that there is reason to be optimistic that everyone will stay loyal and support what is the one cause.
"Supporters love to follow a winning team and everyone in the Supporters Club are fully together in working towards helping Monaghan GAA be as successful as it can be."
Mary says supporters elsewhere could surely not begrudge Monaghan the celebration of a long-awaited Ulster SFC title.
The county following has travelled the length and breadth of the country over the years and have "stuck with the seniors through thick and thin."
"It's been a frustrating time for Monaghan football supporters in particular. I think everyone thought 2010 was going to be our year.
"Expectations were probably higher last year than ever before in Seamus McEnaney's time, especially after the championship win over Armagh although I'd say most supporters would have gone into that game expecting us to beat them.
"I personally always felt that even after the better than expected comfortable win we had over Armagh, I felt it was going to be no less tough to go the distance last year.
"Tyrone were always going to be the team to beat. They're a class outfit and showed again in the final when it counted just what they're made of.
"Unfortunately, as things worked out, I just don't think our management team had the personnel they needed to get over the finishing line."
However it wasn't for the lack of back-up and support from a variety of interests that Monaghan's flagship team fell short of realising their top goal.
In 2010 the Monaghan Supporters Club, led by Mary, generously continued in their efforts to raise funds for the training of all county teams.
Though small in number, the Club's hierarchy worked diligently all year in the hope of seeing Monaghan teams do well on the playing fields.
Thanks, in part, to their inspirational work, Monaghan demonstrated a strong, consistent support throughout the 2010 National Football League.
In particular, the county senior team experienced especially heart-warming support on its long journeys to Galway, Castlebar and Killarney.
"In terms of their passion and loyalty, I do think we're the envy of most counties in the country. Certainly at least our closest neighbours.
"The new management team of Eamonn McEneaney and his backroom team need to be given time to achieve success but I'm certain that they can bank on the support of a loyal and strong Monaghan following.
"It will be important to get a few points on the board early on in the national league but I think supporters will have to bear in mind that our more tried and trusted players will have to get a break and some experimentation will have to happen.
Mary has been an integral part of the Monaghan Supporters Club team for the past ten years and delighted in helping her beloved county career its way to the SFC provincial final on two occasions in that space of time.
High on adrenalin but low on cash due to the economic crash, Monaghan supporters could have been forgiven for having a rather blanched look upon being invited to replenish their colours ahead of their Ulster SFC semi-final clash with Fermanagh in 2010.
However with the Supporters Club to the fore regarding the launch of the new 'Investec' embellished county jersey, things proved a mite too tempting for the faithful.
As such sales of the new 'geansai' performed extraordinarily well considering the financial strait-jacket worn by so many for so long.
The incentive scheme for the purchase of Investec sponsored jerseys was, of course, operated by the Monaghan Supporters Club.
Mary is delighted to report that there was a tremendous response to the scheme with the old jerseys that were returned as part of the scheme being sent to a third world charity.
We are informed that the 'away' blue Monaghan jersey was very much in demand, so much so that the demand for it sometimes exceeded supply.
Seamus McMeel was one very busy man with his merchandise stall at the county's league and championship games.
In 2010, sales from merchandise earned the Supporters Club in and around €34,000.
In 2009, sales amounted to approximately €14,000 which represents a massive increase by anyone's standards.
Michael Cullen's (Investec Ireland) generosity in assisting with the jersey scheme is duly acknowledged by Mary, a Carrick Emmetts club member:
"I believe Michael is from Monaghan town and takes a great pride in the county town and county Monaghan and we are fortunate to have him batting for us all the time.
"He's a familar face at a lot of our games and the county owes a big debt to him for the financial assistance he has given us and has pledged to continue to give."
In rolling up their sleeves, Mary (a native of Lough Egish) and all belonging to the Supporters Club did supremely well themselves in the past year to raise considerable sums for the various county teams.
"In this day and age, it's all the more important that everyone pushes out the boat and supports the county teams financially as well as vocally.
"Every county needs an awful lot of financial backing if it's to be serious about achieving things on the field.
"Supporters mightn't always like to see us coming with tickets at half-time in the championship and league games but they miss us if we don't get out there and they realise, at the end of the day, that the money is needed and well spent."
Mary is understandably proud of the fact that the county Supporters Club continue to be the main sponsors of the Monaghan County Vocational Schools team and also the "Go Games" in the county and she expresses the hope that the Supporters Club will again be supporting them again in 2011.
Mary, who succeeded Luke Cunningham in the hot seat, is fulsome in her praise of the 2010 Supporters Club county senior player of the year, Dick Clerkin.
Wife of Peter Conlon and mother of former county player James Conlon, Mary is acutely aware of the huge sacrifices county players make in pursuit of excellence.
Supporting the cause of every county team is clearly a labour of love for Mary but she's not alone in that regard.
Per head of population, the Oriel must surely rank as one of the best supported counties in the whole country.
These days a county without a county supporters club is destined to be heading nowhere fast.
It's pretty obvious that Monaghan gaels are very much into their Club.
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