ANNUAL CONVENTION 2020 CLG ULADH AN CHOMHDHÁIL BHLIANTÚIL 2020 CLUICHÍ | CULTÚR | TEANGA 31Ú EANÁIR 2020 CLG CHLÁIRSEACHA BHÉAL ÁTHA AN AIRGID, CO ARD MHACHA ANNUAL CONVENTION 2020 ANNUAL CONVENTION 2020 05 a dhéanamh agus an BBC ábalta BUÍOCHAS A bhuí lenár gcomhghleacaithe: Peil In just 14 years’ time the GAA will Two explores the National League Any change however must be for the comhchraoladh cluiche ar bith i na mBan agus Cumann Camógaíochta celebrate its 150th birthday. It will be format for the championship and overall betterment of the Association Gabhaim buíochas ó chroí leis na gCraobhchomórtas Uladh a bhí Uladh as an tacaíocht agus as an an important milestone in our great envisages standalone Provincial and it would be detrimental to the hoibrithe deonacha inár gclubanna craolta ‘beo’ ag RTÉ, chomh maith tuiscint a léiríonn siad, agus is cinnte Association and while for some it Championships, with the Ulster province as a whole if all our counties agus inár gcontaetha a chaitheann a leis seo, bhí muid in ann a shocrú go go gcoinneoimid ag obair lena chéile may still seem a while away, as we all Championship comprising two groups didn’t have the opportunity of winning gcuid ama féin i mbun oibre ar son an mbeadh an BBC in ann dhá chluiche ar ábhair lenár leas. know well it will come upon us quite of five teams (which would include the Anglo-Celt Cup in any given year. chumainn seo. eile a chraoladh ‘beo’ nach raibh quickly. Almost certainly there are one county from Leinster). This is a á taispeáint ag RTÉ nó Sky. Chun é Foilseofar an chéad phlean members of the Ulster Council today format I couldn’t support under any seo a bhaint amach, bhí orainn tús straitéiseach de chuid CLG Uladh in who will still be on the Council on this circumstances. We can all learn from 2019 GAMES ACTIVITY Sa ról seo atá agam mar Rúnaí an na gcluichí seo a sceidealadh ionas 2020. Rinneadh cuid mhaith taighde great anniversary – that’s how close it the past and the experience from Chúige, is minic a chastar daoine In 2019, the Anglo Celt Cup was nach mbeadh sé ag teacht salach ar cheana, agus gabhaim buíochas le is! I reference this as more than ever Hurling tells us that the Ulster Senior spreagúla orm, agus tá mé iontach retained by Dún na nGall while the chlúdach na meán de chuid RTÉ nó Cathaoirleach an Choiste, Daithí Ó people are beginning to examine in Hurling Championship effectively buíoch as an treoir agus as an Ulster Club Championships in both Sky. Mar aon leis seo, tugadh cead hOsáin, agus le baill an choiste, a greater detail the role of the Provincial ‘died’ the day it was de-coupled tacaíocht a fhaighim uaibh. A Hurling and Football continue to don BBC clúdach iomlán a chraoladh bhfuil ionadaithe ó gach cód de chuid Councils, which have been a core from the All-Ireland Senior Hurling bhuíochas ar na maoir agus ar na fir enthuse our players and spectators curtha siar ar gach cluiche sa an CLG sa chúige air, as a ndícheall ‘is fundamental of the GAA since the early Championship. When played as a geataí a oibríonn ar son CLG Uladh alike. Slaughtneil, Naomh Éanna Chraobhchomórtas Uladh nach raibh a ndúthracht. Go luath in sa bhliain years of the 20th century. standalone competition it failed to seachtain ar sheachtain. A bhuí leis and Eoghan Rua Coleraine collected craolta ‘beo.’ úr, eagrófar roinnt imeachtaí do capture the imagination of the public an Phríomh-Mhaor Mícheál Mac the respective titles in hurling and pháirtithe leasmhara agus muid ag Former GAA President Aogán Ó and indeed many players. I fear the Cearnaigh agus Leas-Phríomhmhaor, congratulations to all involved. The Ó tharla go raibh cluiche sa ullmhú i dtreo chríoch na straitéise. FearghaÍl established a committee same fate would befall Football if this Terence Mac Sé, as a ndílseacht Ulster Hurling Club Final between Chraobhchomórtas seo léirithe ag Buíochas le baill na foirne anseo in to examine where the Association were to be the agreed way forward. agus a dtiomantas don Chumann. Go Slaughtneil and Dunloy took place in Sky, bhí cúig as naoi dár gcluichí in CLG Uladh as an tacaíocht leanúnach; should be in 2034 and their report raibh céad maith agaibh, oifigigh ó Páirc Esler, Newry with almost 5,000 2019 craolta ‘beo’ ar an teilifís, agus is sibh a thug dílseacht. Agus an “Towards 2034 – the 150th Anniversary Option One of The Taskforce Report na naoi gcontae, agus Rúnaithe na spectators in attendance. clúdach iomlán curtha siar ag an meall mór ar deireadh, gabhaim of the GAA”, was completed in 2018 proposes a maintenance of the link gContaetha, nó bím ag plé libhse ach chuid eile. Ní féidir le cúige ar bith buíochas ó chroí leis an fhoireann but never published. That said much with the All-Ireland series but with go háirithe. Tá mé iontach buíoch The Ulster Senior Football Club eile nochtadh mar seo a mhaíomh. sa bhaile, ní thiocfadh liom dualgais of the report is in the public domain, a re-structuring of the Provincial as an chuidiú agus an tacaíocht Championship always delivers quality Ó thaobh an chlub, bhí trí chluiche sa an phoist seo a chomhlíonadh gan including a recommendation that Championships to comprise eight a thugann sibh dom ar bhonn fare and this year’s final saw the chraobhchomórtas craolta ‘beo’ (dhá sibh. Bíonn mo bhean chéile, Deirdre, Provincial Councils be replaced by new teams each. This would mean that rialta. Gabhaim buíochas fosta le unique pairing of Naomh Conaill and cheann ag TG4 agus ceann amháin i gcónaí taobh liom: go raibh céad administrative hubs called Regional two teams from Leinster and one from huachtarán an CLG, Seán Ó hÓráin, Kilcoo. Kilcoo, just like Gaoth Dobhair ag RTÉ) agus tá dul chun cinn iontach maith agat, a Dheirdre, as do chuid Councils, with regions to be decided by Ulster would compete in a different Ard Stiúrthóir Tom O Riain, agus in 2018, became first time winners of déanta ag an BBC ar ábhar digiteach tacaíochta agus as an tuiscint. A agreed criteria such as population and Provincial Championship. leis an fhoireann ar fad i bPáirc an the Seamus MacFerran Cup. Well done dá gcuid, rud a chuirfeas go mór le bhuí le mo pháistí: Étain, Ardán agus geographical proximity. Chrócaigh a bhíonn fial flaithiúil lena also to Magheracloone and Blackhill nochtadh ar leith ar an chainéal seo. Malachaí nó bíonn lámh cuidithe acu The Provincial Championships are a gcuid ama agus a thugann treoir nuair who collected the Intermediate and Bhí clúdach digiteach an chluiche i gcónaí. Gabhaim buíochas ó chroí The recently published “Report of The core tenet of the GAA and ending them a bhíonn gá leis. Le rúnaithe Junior titles respectively. idir Cross Mhic Lionnáin agus Cluain libh ar fad! Fixtures Calendar Review Task Force” would be a grave mistake which would na gCúigí, go raibh céad maith Tiobrad ‘beo’ i gcraobhchomórtas has again brought into focus the remit erode part of our core fabric. I penned agaibh fosta as an chomhairle The Ulster Football Club League in chlubanna Uladh sa Pheil. Anois agus of the Provincial Council, specifically a strong defence of the Provincial agus as an tacaíocht. 2019 saw a total of 37 clubs involved, cluichí an Craobhchomórtais léirithe in relation to competitions. The Report Championships in the 2019 Ulster with 16 teams in senior, 12 teams in ag an BBC ar an iPlayer, tá deis ag provides for three options in relation to Senior Football Final match programme Is cuid lárnach iad ár n-urraitheoirí intermediate and nine in junior. This an lucht féachana iad a fheiceáil the future structure of the inter-county and those words ring as true today as de chomhpháirtíocht CLG Uladh agus year saw the introduction of the junior arís ón Mháirt dar gcionn, agus is senior football championship, two they did seven months ago. gabhaim buíochas lenár bpríomh- grade and this was well received céim mhór chun tosaigh é seo. Tá of which would have a fundamental urraitheoirí: O’Neills Sportswear and ensured that all teams received fáilte mhór roimh an fhorbairt seo, impact on the four provincial football The Taskforce Report deserves a agus Banc na hÉireann, agus lenár games at their own level. Kilcoo agus tuilleadh clúdaigh ar chluichí championships. Presently having mature debate and this will happen n-urraitheoirí corparáideacha dá (An Dún), Tír na nÓg Randalstown ó chraobhchomórtais an chlub the most competitive provincial in the coming months. The history, bhflaithiúlacht agus dá ndílseacht (Aontroim) and Brocagh (Tír Eoghain) imeartha fud fad na gcontaetha championship, the impact of any uniqueness and competiveness of leanúnach do na cluichí Gaelacha sa won the Senior, Intermediate and in Uladh. change would be greatest within Ulster. the Ulster Championship must be Chúige. Murach na himreoirí agus na Junior Finals respectively. This Option Three of the report opts for central to this debate. We can at cóitseálaithe, ní bheadh cluichí ann, competition again provided clubs BRIAN MAC FHÍOBHUÍ the status quo – with proposed times all benefit from change and agus mar Chumann, táimid iontach go with competitive action at their RÚNAÍ CHOMHAIRLE ULADH CLG changes elsewhere – while Option there is some merit in this proposal. deo buíoch daoibh ar fad. 38 AN CHOMHDHÁIL BHLIANTÚIL 2020 ANNUAL CONVENTION 2020 39 ANNUAL CONVENTION 2020 ANNUAL CONVENTION 2020 05 teams enhanced the Dr McKenna Cup as a competition and their parting is a major disappointment, though one which couldn’t in all reality have been avoided.