Parents’ anger over the way GAA club axed coaches

A fractious meeting held by the management of the Salthill Knocknacarra GAA Club was attended by around 200 parents, who voiced their anger over the way volunteers managing most of the juvenile teams had been abruptly replaced.

The row, bubbling since last October, had led to a boycott of training sessions of the Under 13 team and a call by parents in a signed petition for an extraordinary general meeting after attempts to broker a compromise fell on deaf ears within the management committee.

A special meeting was arranged, during which local councillor – and father to juvenile players within the club – Pearce Flannery, offered to mediate.

When that was turned down, a letter was read out by Cllr Flannery on behalf of the parents.

In it, they complained about the way long-serving volunteers had been treated and claimed that the club was run “by the few, for the few” and was pandering to vested interests.

A number of the juvenile managers unceremoniously replaced on the appointment of Norman Costello as Juvenile Director spoke about their disappointment at their treatment while parents also aired their grievances over the two hours.

“I spoke at the end of the meeting, saying that as a parent I believed the club should be about the community, not about conflict and these clubs should be child- rather than adult-focused,” Cllr Flannery told the Galway City Tribune.

He said the air of disillusionment in the room was palpable.

Mr Costello also read out a statement apologising for any hurt caused but stressed everything had been done for the betterment of the club.

The committee said it was replacing the Under 13 manager with Gerry Sweeney.

Another person who has a long history with the club said this move had gone a long way towards defusing the ill feeling in the fortnight since the meeting.

“We’re relieved all this is over. At least one of the other managers has gone back. There was a lot of negativity coming up to the meeting, but I’d say it’s eased now. We want to look at the positive side now and get on with it.”

Discussion about the purchase of land in Rahoon for the club’s new pitches was ruled out of order. That plan has now been thrown into disarray after planning permission was turned down as previously reported in the Galway City Tribune.

A second special meeting to present the club accounts, which were not presented at the AGM last October in line with normal practice, was postponed. That is now set to take place on Thursday.