Kildare Strategic Plan 2019 - 2023 02 | Kildare Strategic Plan 2019 - 2023 Kildare Strategic Plan 2019 - 2023 | 03
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KILDARE STRATEGIC PLAN 2019 - 2023 02 | KILDARE STRATEGIC PLAN 2019 - 2023 KILDARE STRATEGIC PLAN 2019 - 2023 | 03 1. Chairman’s Executive Summary I am truly honoured and delighted to present to you The population of Kildare has increased dramatically Kildare GAAs Strategic Plan for 2019 to 2023. over the last number of years with the vast majority This is an exciting and ambitious plan that reflects mainly residing in our urban areas. The demographic five key focus areas that were identified through a profile of our county has changed from rural to urban thorough workshop engagement process, namely and many commute out of Kildare for work on a daily Club Development, Games Development, Capital basis. This poses serious challenges for both rural and Development, Financial Development and Urban/ urban clubs and the strategic plan acknowledges this Rural Development. and identifies actions that cater for the needs of both The publication of this plan is the culmination of club demographs. A large number of the population is an extensive consultation process that gathered It outlines a clear vision and pathway for our county now non-national and the onus is on us all to welcome the views and ideas of the various stakeholders in for the next five years by setting out goals specific them into our clubs and to give them the opportunity the county with a view to improving the standards for Kildare GAA supported by objectives, actions to play our games and experience our culture through in Kildare GAA. I want to acknowledge our and progress indicators to enable our county to management committee, club chairpersons and involvement in Scór. achieve superior performance across all focus areas. secretaries, club representatives, club coaching More than anything this plan encourages us to work One of our key focus areas is facilities development officers, full-time coaching staff, development squad together both at Management Committee level and and we will continue to improve both Manguard Plus coaches, county managers and players for giving Club level, to face our challenges and achieve success. Centre of Excellence and our county grounds, St freely of their time and for being so interested and Conleths Park over the lifetime of this plan. Next year interactive in our consultation process. This plan recognises the importance of providing a we will embark on the re-development of St Conleth’s meaningful games programme for all our members, I want to especially thank the three members Park having already received planning permission for both young and old, as they experience the myriad of our Steering Committee, facilitator Dr Brian a new stand, flood lights and pitch improvements. In of emotions through participation, both as players, Ladden, Cormac Kirwan our Operations Manager our centre of excellence it is our intention to build a coaches, referee’s and supporters. It promotes and Ronan Murnaghan who worked tirelessly over gymnasium that will further allow all our teams reach life-long involvement in the association whilst also the last number of months to develop and compile their potential. this plan. Our collective challenge moving forward acknowledging our greatest challenge moving will be the implementation of this plan and I look forward centred around volunteerism. It allows for Finances are a very important aspect of all activity and forward to working with you all closely in 2019 to players, coaches and administrators to be encouraged it is essential that a sustainable financial model is put in achieve our goals. and supported to reach their full potential and there place at both club and county level. We must continue are clear pathways to enable individuals achieve the to promote our games to maximise commercial revenue Ger Donnelly highest standard. and do our utmost to increase attendances. Chairman Kildare GAA Tom Cross Junior Champions 2018 04 | KILDARE STRATEGIC PLAN 2019 - 2023 KILDARE STRATEGIC PLAN 2019 - 2023 | 05 2. INTRODUCTION This Strategic Plan aims to provide a blueprint for This plan will help drive our activities across the direction of Cumann Luthchleas Gael Cill Dara several functional areas during the five-year over the period 2019-2023. timeframe and allow us to benchmark our success against our objectives as we progress. The plan addresses the specific issues and challenges facing our county and will provide The plan was commissioned by the Cumann a roadmap for success for the county at all Luthchleas Gael Cill Dara and was overseen by a levels. The primary aim of this plan is to achieve three-man Steering Committee lead by Cormac superior performance across several areas for the Kirwan (Bainisteoir Oibríochtaí), Ronan Murnaghan association in Kildare. and facilitated by Dr. Brian Ladden. The Strategic Plan was developed in consultation with all the different stakeholders involved in the GAA in Kildare, with primary focus on our clubs. An overview of the methodology employed, and the historical and strategic context for the plan is provided. The Mission, Vision and Values of the GAA are detailed, as is the Vision for the GAA in Kildare, as The primary aim of this plan is articulated by our stakeholders. This is followed by the goals and strategic objectives of the GAA in to achieve superior performance Kildare for the next five years. across several areas for the association in Kildare. The report is concluded by outlining how the Strategic Plan will be implemented and reviewed. Haven Hire Senior Hurling Champions 2018 06 | KILDARE STRATEGIC PLAN 2019 - 2023 KILDARE STRATEGIC PLAN 2019 - 2023 | 07 3. PLANNING PROCESS OVERVIEW Developing the Strategic Plan involved an Dates and venues of main consultation meetings: An online questionnaire focused on our Juvenile Games extensive process of collaboration and consultation • 9th April Management Committee in Programme, which surveyed club officers, coaches including a series of workshops and interviews The Osprey Hotel Naas Co. Kildare and mentors to get their views on issues relevant to with the different GAA stakeholders in Kildare. • 14th June Club Representatives, in Carbury underage games and how it could be improved, was GAA club also undertaken. In total there were 220 respondents to These included the Management Committee, club • 19th June Club Representatives, in Rathcoffey the survey. chairpersons and secretaries, club representatives, GAA club club coaching officers, full-time coaching staff • 20th June Club Representatives, in Sarsfields Additional to this, individuals who might have unique and development squad coaches as well as GAA club insights into Kildare GAA were interviewed. The county managers and players. The consultation • 21st June Club Representatives, in St Steering Committee met with the Club and County process gathered the views and ideas of as many Laurences GAA club Planning Committee in Croke Park and got very good relevant stakeholders in the county with a view to • 29th Aug Full-time Coaching Staff and feedback and direction from Ciaran MacLochlainn, improving the standards in Cumann Luthchleas Development Squad staff, in Hawkfield Centre Emmet Haughian and Ruairi Harvey. The Steering Gael Cill Dara. of Excellence Committee also met Colm Cummins who is Chairman of • Week starting 12 Nov Engagement with the Urban/ Rural Committee of the GAA to get guidance County Senior Captains of both Football and and input regarding Urban/ Rural issues. County hurling Hurling Squads and football players and the senior county manager were asked for their input separately. Members from the following clubs attended the consultation meetings: Allenwood, Ardclough, The methodology used was a three-step process of Athgarvan, Ballymore Eustace, Balyna, Broadford, analysis, strategy development and action planning. Cappagh, Carbury, Castlemitchell, Celbridge, Participants were asked for their input into answering Clane, Coill Dubh, Confey, Johnstownbridge, three key questions: Kilcock, Kildangan, Kill, Leixlip, Maynooth, Milltown, 1. What is good about the GAA in Kildare at present? Monasterevin, Moorefield, Naas, Rathcoffey, Rheban, Robertstown, Round Towers, St Laurence’s, 2. What is not going so well and could be improved? Sarsfields, Straffan, Suncroft, Two Mile House. 3. How can Kildare GAA be improved? 1919 Kildare Senior Football team 08 | KILDARE STRATEGIC PLAN 2019 - 2023 KILDARE STRATEGIC PLAN 2019 - 2023 | 09 4. HISTORICAL CONTEXT Kildare’s Leading Role in the also the news sections of print media. Live action photographs were first published by newspapers Evolution of the GAA Support for the county team remains By Eoghan Corry and special trains were commissioned by railway companies to convey fans from outside the competing consistently high, delivering large counties. The all-white Kildare kit that dates from this attendances to big events for which Kildare people were extremely prominent in the period was associated with the glamorisation of what the county team qualifies. lead-up to the foundation of the GAA, organising had hitherto been seen as a heavily politicised rural inter-county football and hurling matches from based sport confined to Munster and South Leinster. at least the middle of the 18th century. From the 1860’s, Kildare was organising sports meetings, association in repairing political divisions created by the Over the 1919-35 period Kildare football teams notably in Clane and Monasterevin, that predicated 1921 Treaty with England and subsequent civil war. succeeded in improving the game further, with tactical the foundation of the GAA on November 1st 1884, innovations such as the hand pass and solo run, the The move of the GAA to larger and more modern for which the then editor of the Leinster Leader, emergence of the first superstar of Gaelic football, venues; the restructuring of club competitions to John Wyse Power, travelled from Naas to Thurles. Olympic high jumper Larry Stanley, and an all- enhance participation and the widespread use of social consuming rivalry with their counterparts from Kerry. In February 1885, the day that rules for Gaelic media are initiatives that have been spearheaded by Kildare’s dedicated burgeoning GAA family.