Kilkenny GAA Supporters Club reviewed a very successful year for both the club and county at its AGM held in Nowlan Park recently. The well-attended meeting included a number of members of the Kildare-based Supporters Club who travelled to attend the AGM.
Secretary Jim Freeman presented a comprehensive report on the activities of the club throughout the past year. These included work on the pre All-Ireland fund-raising dinner, the All-Ireland banquet, team holiday draw, sales of Kilkenny merchandise and team photographs. The Supporters Club wagon travelled throughout the county putting in appearances in particular at Danesfort Field Day, Piltown Show and the National Ploughing Championships. The secretary also reported on a very successful Golf classic in Gowran Park Golf and Country Club, the Leopardstown Corporate Day out and the success of the Christmas card produced by the club.
Of particular note was the success of the Club in reaching 1330 members and the launching of a new corporate membership of the Kilkenny GAA Supporters Club at €100. The secretary also welcomed the use of mobile phone texting to contact members and to keep them informed of Kilkenny teams. Apart from the county teams the Supporters Club also helped Schools’ Coaching, Hurling and Equipment Schools’ Scheme, Lisdowney Sevens, Kilkenny GAA Yearbook, Hurlers’ Holiday Fund, Development Squads and a number of Kilkenny club teams taking part in Leinster and All-Ireland Club championships financially in the past year.
The secretary outlined and complimented Kilkenny teams at county, club and school levels on their successes in the past year and thanked County Board officers for their help and co-operation. Concluding Mr Freeman mentioned how the contribution of the Supporters Club to the financial well being of the County Board was recognised in the Kilkenny GAA Strategic Vision and Action Plan and stressed how the club is and will continue to be of great benefit to the GAA in Kilkenny.
Chairman John Mackey in his address to the meeting congratulated Brian Cody and the senior team on their wonderful success in winning the four in a row All-Ireland titles and also congratulated the minor, under 21 and Intermediate teams on winning Leinster titles and thanked them for the enjoyment all their successes had brought. John also paid tribute to the various Kilkenny club sides especially Ballyhale Shamrocks and St Lactains on their All- Ireland successes and Blacks and Whites on their Leinster success. John wished all Kilkenny teams and management all the best in 2010.
He extended thanks to MW Hire, Bernard Kavanagh, Fintan Murphy and D O’ Connor for their help and support during the past year. John also noted the increase in membership of the supporters club and attributed it to the efforts made by the club in targeting and travelling to various parts of the county to sell membership. John thanked the Kildare and Dublin branches of the Supporters Club for their work. He complimented the County Board on the new stand and groundsmen Timmy Grogan and Mick O’ Neill for their work and thanked Caroline Morrissey in the office for being so helpful to the Supporters Club throughout the year.
Treasurer Eamon Hennessey finished the meeting with a copy of the Supporters Club financial report, which had been audited and included in the financial statements at the County Board Convention in December. Vice Chairman Eddie Keher in addressing the meeting said we were living through probably the greatest era of hurling in the history of Kilkenny GAA. He thanked the county Board and its officers for the effort, which they put into supporting all teams. Eddie complimented all the Kilkenny players on how well they had represented the county on the team holiday
Concluding Eddie commented on the role GAA games could play in promoting local tourism. Sean Dunne of the Kildare Branch was delighted to report that the Branch was in excellent shape. He outlined the support the Kildare Branch had given to the Club in the past year and associated himself with Eddie’s comments regarding how well the players represented the county on the team holiday.
County Chairman Paul Kinsella, Vice Chairman Pat Dunphy, Secretary Ned Quinn, Treasurer Barry Hickey, John Healy Central Council Representative and PRO Conor Denieffe all addressed the meeting following the election of officers.
Officers elected were Chairman John Mackey, Vice Chairman Eddie Keher, Secretary Jim Freeman, Assistant Secretary Sean Dunne, Treasurer Eamon Hennessy, PRO Ned Buggy, Committee Members (5 ) Jim Kearns, Tom Brennan, John Cahill, Billy Norris and Seamus Farrell.
