Club delegates debate solutions for the future of rural Kildare GAA clubs

The atmosphere was different this time around. Maybe it was the fact that more silverware had been garnered in 2025 than all in Kildare could have ever expected.

Maybe it was the fact that there was no contest for the no 1 seat.
Or maybe the excellent financial report had everyone at ease.
One thing that thankfully didn't change was Martina's Munchies (aka Roses) greeting all on arrival.

This time last year Bryan Murphy sat amongst the ordinary plebs. However this time around the Corkonian was officially inside the tent, at the top table if you don't mind, with the grand title of Football Development Officer, having also become a member of the all-powerful management committee.

Better doing 'you know what' inside the tent out, rather than outside the tent in, if you get me drift.
Speaking of the top table, have to say I have a bit of a gripe here.

Lovely venue for convention, but why o why was the top table not set out at the top of the hall, rather than at the side, at least then all present would see the top table, and more importantly be in a position to see the display screen.

During the convention the screen was in use, initially by Treasurer Alan Dunney but unless one was sitting directly in front of the top table, and I mean smack, bang in the middle, one could not see the screen. Now it mattered little during the presentation of the accounts as all had a hard copy of the financial report.

However, when Syl Merrins made his presentation on the draft of the Demographic Survey, no one could see the screen, bar, again, those sitting in the centre of the room. What it really meant was that despite the enormous work put into this survey by Syl and his committee, the results were lost on most of those present and many delegates simply lost interest, as they could not see the screen, which was a terrible pity.

Ideally the Co Board could do worse than invest in a proper large screen, instead of relying on one, and just one at that, Harvey Norman TV Special, where most would need binoculars to see in the first place, even if they were in the right position in the room.

It might seem a bit picky but when you are talking on a mass of figures, percentages of this and that, of projections for the next five, ten and fifteen years, and showing various tables and graphics, and most in attendance are not in a position to see the screen on what was being talked about, well, the interest goes, and goes fast. Not the fault of Syl Merrins I hasten to add.
And that is not to take away from the information that the chairman of the demographics was relaying to the gathering.

When Syl finally ended his presentation I though for a minute I was tuned into Joe Duffy, or Kieran What’shisname, on Liveline (without the phone calls) as speaker after speaker brought up the problem of a lack of players through lack of housing in rural areas.

Now what the Co Board can do about that I don't know but folk from Ballyteague, Cappagh, Rathcoffey, Clogherinkoe, Castlemitchell, were cited as areas that cannot get planning for housing, even on their own land, which of course results in the population in those areas declining, resulting in a fall-off of pupils at national schools, which has the knock-on effect of a scarcity of players in those small rural clubs.

Frank Moran, for instance, said that his club, Ballyteague, are so starved of players they could not field in the U23 championship, Frank adding “even if that was an 11-a-side competition we could not have fielded.”

We heard of Rathcoffey being told there is little hope of any major housing in their area for the next 20 or 30 years which will also have the same knock-on problems.

Joe Duffy, sorry, Kieran What’shisname, would have had a field day, I say to myself.

There is a serious problem, of that there is no doubt, but what the Co Board can do about it, housing-wise at least, is a real head-scratcher.

Remember Alan Dunney and Syl Merrins are highly regarded and high ranking officials of Kildare Co. Council, and if they say that the chances of the Local Authority spending a million, or whatever, on a water treatment plant enabling the building of four or five houses in rural Kildare, is simply not a runner, you can take it as fact.

Syl Merrins said, “that will not happen, water treatment plants will be build close to big towns where large estates can be built.”

One statistic given at the convention was that by 2040 — and that is only 15 years away — the population of Kildare is set to grow by no less than 37,000, that gives an indication of the problem facing the local authority, so to cater for those numbers, major housing estates will be needed, once-off houses, here and there, as Syl Merrins emphasised, like it or not, is simply not on the agenda.

It is the small rural communities that will suffer, the small rural GAA clubs may not even survive which is a terrible thought, but unfortunately probably a reality.

Yes, of course the GAA, both at national and local level, are taking on the present and future findings of various demographic reports, but while they will all come up with the problems, no sign of any solutions forthcoming.

Maybe Joe Duffy, sorry, Ciaran What’shisname, will come up with solutions, but I doubt it.

There were proposals, recommendations, call it what you like, to help out those small rural clubs with recommendations that Category 1 clubs (possibly decided by population) could be allowed to transfer up to four players to small, rural clubs, on a 12 month basis.

On the face of it, that looks more than a decent proposal.

Then again, as one delegate from a small junior rural club pointed out: “so we get to a junior final and come up against a club that has just got four players from a senior club, albeit on a temporary 12 month basis, imagine what that would do to our chances of winning a junior championship.”

All politics are local.

The concept seems grand but in reality, it could certainly have some major side effects.

Round Towers delegate Padraig Gill, suggested “this is too big a decision to make tonight, we need to bring it back to our clubs for guidance” and that was agreed.

Sensible decision.

Time for the sambos, the nibbles and the chicken thingies.

Congratulations to Rory McGrath (Kildangan) who was elected Communications Officer for 2026, in the only vote of the evening. Lorraine Woulfe takes over the Hon Sec role from Christine Murray, whose five year term has come to an end; all other officers were returned.

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