Keaney elected new Galway GAA Chairman in cliffhanger

HURLING Committee Secretary Pat Kearney has succeeded the outgoing Noel Treacy as Chairman of Galway GAA after the Kilbeacanty native held off the challenge of Oughterard’s Kevin Clancy to win the eagerly anticipated election by a single vote.

One of the closest run contests at Galway GAA’s County Convention in many years, Kearney, who was elected on a final count of 127 to 126, was on the front-foot straight away in his role, highlighting that one of the issues he would be campaigning on during his term was club fixtures.

“Our clubs are important,” he stated. “The county and national issues take all the precedent but really, our clubs, and you talk about fixtures, and I have been at fixtures for the last seven or eight years in company with other people here, are also important.

“If you look at the next 26 weeks, there are 19 of them taken up with inter-county fixtures. How can GAA counties expect the clubs to cope with that?” he asked. “That is an issue we have to look at.”

He noted the GPA in the last decade had made great strides in improving conditions for inter-county players, with the GPA now integrated in the GAA system, and he believed the GAA should now adopt a similar position with the Club Players Association (CPA), which was set up in October.

“There is damn good reason why that was set up because our club players are being neglected and we must mobilise and help our club players to get games,” said the new County Committee Chairman.

Kearney also touched on a number of issues – from the Liam Mellows motion on seeking fairer and equal terms for Galway’s inter-county hurling teams to the “precarious situation” of Galway GAA’s financial debts.

Indeed, alluding to the latter, he asked the delegates to trust those who had the expertise in handling accounts but agreed with the sentiment expressed by Galway CEO John Hynes previously that costs must be cut and revenue increased.

“If we reduce our costs by 10%, and increase our income by 10%, we will continue on and improve our situation,” said Kearney, who also noted that, despite the substantial loans that have to be repaid, there were still a lot of positives to be found in Galway GAA’s balance sheet.

In thanking the delegates for bestowing the honour on him of County Chairman, he also acknowledged the work undertaken by Noel Treacy over his five-year term of office, stating Treacy had “done tremendous work in trying times for Galway”.

Full coverage in this week’s Connacht Tribune.