CLUB LIMERICK DUBLIN NOTES
Club Limerick Dublin Celebrates its Silver Jubilee
Club Limerick Dublin (formerly the Limerick GAA Supporters Club) reached a special landmark last Friday (6 March) when it convened its 25th Annual General Meeting. The event at the Grill and Bar in Goatstown was tinged with some sadness when the club’s longest serving officer, Treasurer Harry Keane did not seek re-election to the position he has held since 1995. Tributes were paid to the Kilmallock man by Chair Paul Stapleton who described Harry as a “passionate, loyal and dedicated” Limerick man. Harry was one of the first trio of officers who formed the association in 1995 – Eamonn Rea was Chairman with John Keating as Secretary. Eamonn Rea recalled his first encounters with Harry when he was an Effin minor and Harry hurled for Kilmallock. Later they shared a flat with Mick Hartnett in Leinster Square in Dublin.
In his quarter of a century in charge of the finances of Club Limerick Dublin, Harry oversaw the transfer of about €500,000 to the Limerick GAA for the development of underage games. His final act as treasurer was to present County Secretary, Mike O’Riordan, another Kilmallock man with a cheque for €15,000. The new Treasurer is Pat Nash of Feoghanagh-Castlemahon.
John Cregan, Chair of the County Board thanked Harry for his support and work in aid of the Limerick GAA. In his address, John commented that in the space of a decade, the turnover of the Limerick County Board had risen from some €800,000 to over €4.5m. He added “the days of county teams training two nights a week, having a few pints and enjoying their game as a hobby are gone. So high costs are a fact of life and it is time that the annual contribution from Croke Park is increased.”
For many years, the AGM has featured a guest speaker and last Friday, Dr. William Murphy, Lecturer in Modern Irish History at Dublin City University, treated the attendees to a fascinating insight to Laurence Roche, a former Chair of the Limerick County Board, Vice-President of the GAA, athlete and a member of the Commercials team that won the 1876 All-Ireland football title. William also has the distinction of captaining his native Monagea to a Limerick Junior Football championship in 2001.
Chair of Club Limerick, Sean Scanlon also outlined an extensive range of fund-raising ventures that the Board is launching for 2020.
Officers 2020
Chair: Paul Stapleton (Oola)
Vice Chair: Gerry O’Sullivan (Kilbehenny)
Secretary: Ollie Mann (Ballysteen)
Asst. Secretary: Hugh Hynes (Meanus)
Treasurer: Pat Nash (Feoghanagh-Castlemahon)
Assistant Treasurer: Michael Fitzgerald (Athea)
PRO: David Reale (Limerick city)
County Board Liaison: John Keating (Ardpatrick)
Director of Golf Classic: Tom Cotter (Garryspillane)
PHOTOGRAPHS :
Dr. William Murphy, Lecturer in Modern History at Dublin City University (Centre) delivered a fascinating talk on former Limerick County Board Chairman and All-Ireland football winner with Commercials 1876, Laurence Roche receives a presentation from Paul Stapleton, Chair of Club Limerick Dublin (right). Also in picture Ollie Mann, Secretary of Club Limerick Dublin.
Harry Keane (Kilmallock), Treasurer of Club Limerick Dublin for the past 25 years performs one of his final tasks when presenting a cheque for €15,000 to Mike O’Riordan, Secretary of the Limerick County Board, also a native of Kilmallock.
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