President’s June Blog

You could feel the excitement and the anticipation at the Championship launch last week. Twenty eight team captains joined the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport Mary Hanafin TD and Gary Desmond, CEO of Gala in a gloriously sunny Croke Park. Several team managements were there also including Ann Downey (Kilkenny), JJ Doyle (Wexford), Eoin Brislane (Tipp), Brendan Cooper (Dublin), Patsy Fahy (Clare), Joachim Kelly (Offaly), Noel Finn (Galway) and Pheilim Macken (Limerick).

Referee Assessment Programme
At the launch we announced the introduction of a new Referees’ Assessment Programme and the criteria for the selection of the All Stars and Soaring Star Awards. A panel of referee assessors is being established with Frank McDonald, Eileen Hamill, Peter Downey and Damien Noble in place currently. This will expand shortly and the assessment is being co-ordinated by former referee John Pender.

All Star and Soaring Star selection criteria
The All Star/Soaring Star selectors for 2010 and 2011 are Maura McCloy (Derry) (Chair), Bronagh Gaughan (Meath), Eamonn Browne (Tipperary), Margaret Finn (Cork), Mßire UÝ ScolaÝ (National Results Co-ordinator) and Sheila O’Donohoe (Comhairle Cham¾gaÝochta Ard Oideachais). Key selection criteria for the awards are work rate and effectiveness; skill levels, sportsmanship and role modelling. Work rate and effectiveness and skill level are the highest weighted criteria. The Player Welfare Committee, chaired by Stealla Sinnott was consulted in developing the criteria.

Some new rules
You may know by know that Special Congress at the end of May also agreed some new rules for the Association. These included:
ò Adopting An Cumann Cam¾gaÝochta or The Camogie Association as our new title
ò Adoption as one of our seven objectives a commitment to work in partnership with the wider Gaelic Games family
ò Limiting an elected officer’s term in the same officer capacity to no more than five consecutive years and to a maximum of ten consecutive years in several officer capacities
ò Designating the club with which a player first legally participates in club competition as a player’s home club
ò Granting voting rights to registered members aged 16 years or over
ò Granting two voting delegates for clubs at county board meetings and to counties at Provincial Council meetings
ò Legislating for Cumann na mBunscol to send a delegate to county boards and for Post Primary and Third Level Education Councils to be involved at provincial level
ò Legislating for transfers, hearing and disciplinary issues to be only heard and adjudicated on by a Transfers, Hearings and Disciplinary Committee appointed by either  County Board, Provincial Council and Ardchomhairle as appropriate
ò Introducing revised timeframes for disciplinary hearings
ò Introducing new procedures for the administration of transfers
ò Introducing new rules for player grading for club competitions
ò Introducing revised rules for player grading at inter county level
ò Introducing age bands for underage competitions including stipulation that players must be over 15 to participate in adult club competitions and over 16 to participate in adult inter county competition
ò Adopting child centred, small sided and developmentally appropriate games model for under 12 games’ activities
ò Legislating that players are automatically eligible to play for their native county and are only required to declare if they wish to play with another county
ò Requiring each County Board and Provincial Council to appoint a Development Sub-Committee
ò Giving power to Annual Congress to directly elect three members to Ardchomhairle – a coaching and games development representative; a public relations and communications representative and a National Treasurer
ò Specifying the role of the An tUachtarßn
ò Adopting email as the preferred format for all official correspondence
ò Adopting that all official correspondence may be signed in Irish or English
ò Introducing new penalties in event of failures to field a team and for reported late starts to matches
ò Requirement that umpires officiating at inter county matches must be over 18.
A number of these rules will be effective from 22nd June and others will come into effect on 1 January 2011. Details will be issued to county and provincial secretaries in due course.

40th FÚile
Next week it’s off to the 40th FÚile na nGael hosted by Clare this year. If the enthusiasm and interest shown during the school visits is anything to go by – there is a great weekend in prospect for all.
I’m delighted that Celbridge, where I’m a member, will represent Kildare so looking forward to meeting them along with all the other county camogie reps and of course all the host clubs.
Before that though, trips to Kerry and Armagh and Gort Camogie Club to support the excellent development work there and couple of championship matches to take it.
Check out your local papers and www.camogie.ie for details of matches in the Gala All Ireland Championships and come out and support your county! Enjoy!

Joan O’Flynn
Siobhßn NÝ Fhloinn
Uachtarßn
9 Meitheamh 2010

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