They Said It ....

March 2004

Since one Ger Loughnane the management of the Clare hurlers has a certain aura attached to it. And then there is that little matter of following in Loughnane’s shoes. Cyril Lyons did not have a smooth run and he and the County Board had a wee difference of opinion on how his term in the hot seat came to an end. Seamus Hayes writes in the Clare Champion.
Former Clare GAA chairman Fr Michael McNamara has reacted to recent comments by Cyril Lyons about his decision not to seek another term in charge of the team.
Speaking in Arizona recently when the former county’s hurling senior boss managed the 2002 All Stars to victory over this year’s team. Lyons said he “would have regrets about the way it ended. Whether I would have liked to stay on or not, there was no choice in the matter. I felt that there’s a certain way to do business. It is the county board’s prerogative to appoint and select and we had three years done and if they came to us and said that you have three years done and we are looking for a change, it was no problem.”
The Ruan man continued, “They didn’t go that and I felt that it was a cheap way to do business. It undermined a huge amount of work that was done by management and players over the three years and, if anything, it left me feeling sour. No one had a divine right to the job but I would have felt that a call from the chairman or from the secretary saying ‘listen we are looking elsewhere’ that would have been fine but they didn’t do that.”
In an interview on local radio last weekend Fr McNamara said that there were ‘some inaccuracies’ in Lyons’ statement and he confirmed to The Clare Champion earlier this week that he ‘stood over everything I said on radio.”
In that interview he said that he “spoke with Cyril at least twice that week. If he had said that he was interested in continuing, he would have had my support, 100%. He informed the secretary and myself at Cusack Park on a Saturday evening that he would not be continuing.”
Fr McNamara went on to say that he “did everything by the book and the matter was referred to the clubs.
“Cyril addressed the board meeting on a Tuesday night and he then met with his selectors on the Thursday night. I know that they informed him that they would not be continuing. I understand that he also consulted with some players,” added Fr McNamara, before suggesting that the former manager should make the views of the players known.
Asked to comment this week, Lyons said that he had no reason to change his earlier comments on the issue. He disagreed with the former chairman’s claim that the selectors had informed him (Lyons) that they would not be continuing. “All parties were aware that Ger O’Loughlin has made it known on his appointment that he would only be staying for a year.”
While Lyons has never commented publicly on the happenings at the board meeting he addressed last September, it is understood that he was disappointed with the fact that despite being proposed and seconded for another term - and this was the only proposal on the night - the chairman did not take the proposal.

Instead of losing managers the Laois Board are in the business of getting patrons into their showpiece O’Moore Park. But as the Leinster Express reports they have encountered problems.
In response to the crowd problems at the league game against Sligo and of people’s inability to pass through the turnstiles, County Chairman, Dick Miller, explained that it was the first time patrons of O’Moore Park had experienced such problems gaining access to the ground considering that the county had staged a number of top level games in recent times.
Mr Miller said, “It is very hard to judge crowds for a league match and if you are going to have everyone coming five minutes before the start, it’s going to be hard to accommodate everyone at the same time.”
However, the Chairman did explain that there were difficulties in giving people change for the game and that the new 12 euro entrance charge had “made a major job out of selling tickets.”
Meanwhile, admission charges for all GAA championship fixtures in 2004 were revealed. The cost of a stand ticket for the All-Ireland final will be 60 euro, while the terrace will come to 30 euro.
However, there was some concern expressed over the 300 per cent hike from 5 euro to 15 euro for students and senior citizens for all the major games, barring the final of this year’s championship.
The costs for club games for the coming season will be five euro for Division One and Two in both hurling and football and three euro for all the other divisions.

Tipps All Ireland winning captain of 1949, the legendary Pat Stakelum had the misfortune of losing his All Ireland medal collection to thieves recently. A heartless action and I am sure all of you will take note of the Garda number at the end should information arise. Noel Dundon of the Tipperary Star talks to Pat.
One of Tipperary’s greatest hurling legends is this week trying to come to terms with the loss of some of his prized possessions following a break-in to his home recently.
All-Ireland winning 1949 Tipperary senior hurling captain, Pat Stakelum, Clongour, Thurles made the sickening discovery after a break-in to his home on January 30th which resulted in the theft of 10 of his hard won medals, and a very sentimental Waterford Crystal lamp which was presented to him upon his retirement by colleagues in Dwan’s Minerals where he worked for many years.
Pat had been away from his home for a time on the day in question and returned along with his wife Nancy, but had noticed nothing until the following morning. Entry had been gained through a window at the rear of their Clongour home on the outskirts of Thurles and the medals had been removed from a display cabinet in the sittingroom of the house. Pat and Nancy were both disgusted when the full extent of their discovery came to light.
“I was heartbroken that the medals and the lamp were gone, but it was a feeling of disgust that someone had been through our house that was the most upsetting aspect of it.
The medals were symbols of great days but we will get over their loss. I hope the memories of those days will remain for a long time to come anyway. However, the feeling that our house was broken into is a terrible one. Of course we would still love to get the medals back again as well,” Pat told the Tipperary Star.
While a number of Pat’s best medals escaped the thieves hands due to the fact that he had given them to his daughters as presents, the valuable 1950 All-Ireland and Munster championships medals disappeared, as did a minor All-Ireland medal from 1945 (runners-up) and two All-Ireland Colleges Medals from 1945 and 1946, won alongside his great friend and colleague Paddy Kenny, Three Railway Cup and three National League medals were also taken, but two other National Hurling League medals survived and were amazingly left by the thieves. A whole plethora of other medals were left as well and very little damage was caused in the break-in.
Pat’s loss is the fourth such incident in the locality in relatively recent times. Break-ins to the homes of former Tipperary star Sean McLoughlin, former Kilkenny star Billy Fitzpatrick, and former Tipperary football selector Conor O’Dwyer resulted in a host of other high profile medals disappearing including a Harty Cup medal in the case of Conor O’Dwyer - the last Harty Cup medal to be won by a Thurles man. Some medals have been recovered by Gardai, but many more have not.
A number of pillows were taken by the thieves from Stakelum’s to wrap the medals and the lamp in. Gardai are investigating the incident having visited the scene and are appealing to anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the area to contact them as soon as possible.
Or, if someone tries to sell on a Waterford Crystal lamp or suspect medals, the alarm should be raised.
Perhaps you saw someone acting suspiciously in the area, or saw a strange vehicle parked close to the vicinity.
If so, please contact the Gardai at 0504-25100.

The rugby crowd are using it, our soccer friends also. And sure what the rest do, the GAA can at least do as good. The latest technology for referees has been given the thumbs up by Down referee Colm Broderick after he tried the equipment out at a NFL match in early February. Words from the Mourne Observer.
Colm said he did not know that he would be testing the equipment until he arrived at the ground on the day of the Tyrone v Fermanagh match on February 8 but was glad to get the opportunity.
The earpiece and microphone are designed to keep him in verbal touch with his assistants on the line who were wearing similar devices.
He said: “I thought it would be a bit cumbersome but it was a lot handier than I had imagined. I wore a microphone attached to my jumper and a Velcro belt with the box attached. As long as I remembered to lean down and speak into the microphone, things were fine.
“Before, when we had the flags and the buzzers I had to look at both lines when I got a signal, so I think this new technology speeds things up a bit.”
Colm said he thinks the trial will last right the way through the National League season and the results will go back to the committee at Croke Park.
He said: “There will be a set in every county and someone responsible for looking after it, the same as someone looking after the flags and stuff for the officials at the moment.
“We have been asking for this for a couple of years and there may be further steps forward but I think we should get used to what we are doing first.”
Colm said that the technology was a matter that has been brought up after the referees formed their own Senior Referees’ Committee and different systems were researched before this was produced.
He said: “Croke Park will look at the expense when all the trials have been carried out and we are hoping it gets the go ahead.”

It has been going on for years. Debates around the country amongst various county boards concerning the under 12 grade. Is it too competitive? Should the championship be rearranged into a league system? Former County Board Chairman Tommy Kenoy writing in the Roscommon Herald compliments the stance of the Primrose and Blue officers for getting rid of their championship. But believe us Tommy it won’t make the slightest bit of difference. The 2004 Ros under 12 leagues will be as competitive as ever.
I salute the brave and necessary decision by Roscommon Minor Board to abolish the county Under-12 championship.
It’s a decision that should have been taken years ago. The simple reality is that there is far too much emphasis on competitiveness at juvenile level and not enough on the development of basic skills and personal discipline. The emphasis now will shift to the above and introduce competition in a phased manner using interclub leagues.
Juvenile activity in the past has been modelled on the adult version with team managers primarily focused on winning championships and conducting training sessions that often imitate seniors.
Join the scene at an “important” juvenile championship game and you’ll find management and parents in a frenzy as victory is sought. All blame the referee for his poor and ‘biased’ decisions, the management is blamed for selection, substitutions and tactics and the opposition is portrayed as the enemy.
And all this frenzy is supposed to impact favourably on juveniles under their care. A great way indeed to teach personal discipline! Back in the late 1980s when Marty McDermott took over the Roscommon seniors, one of his first comments honed in on the players’ poor level of basic skills. He found himself teaching basics like catch and kick to seniors.
All this work should have been done at juvenile level. But it wasn’t then and in many cases isn’t now. Some of the basic errors we saw in Ennis and Hyde Park recently tell us that. There’s lot of time to introduce the hard competitive edge at Under-14 and Under-16 levels. Let’s hope coaches and managers can now row in solidly behind the minor board’s brave decision.