I’ve only now had the chance to have a proper look at Noelle Horan’s stinging criticism of fellow County Board officers which she came out with at the County Convention in Claremorris on Monday night. The outgoing PRO – who failed to receive any nomination to stay in her post for another year – certainly wasn’t holding back and she appears to have reserved most of her ire for County Secretary Sean Feeney. You’ll recall that Feeney himself had a few feisty remarks to make in his annual report to the Convention but none of what he had to say gave any hint about the kind of trouble within the County Board that has now come to light. Noelle’s astonishing broadside certainly leaves no doubt on that score and both Feeney and County Chairman James Waldron were the ones to get it with both barrels from the outgoing PRO in her address to the Convention.
I have to confess that I haven’t the first notion as to what the hell is going on here. At one level, it’s all a bit comical but at the same time, it’s got to be of concern that members of the County Board are willing to air grievances in such a public way with the result that details of what appears to be some kind of internecine warfare amongst them ends up making its way into the national media.
One thing’s for sure: a County Board that’s riven by division and whose members are more concerned with poking each other in the eye than they are with developing Gaelic games within the county is not the kind of County Board that is going to lead us in the direction we all want to be heading in. A prerequisite for success on the field is that everyone – manager, players, supporters and County Board – is all pulling in the same direction and that everyone’s focus remains on the main aim of helping to ensure that the county team performs to the best of its ability.
Noelle Horan’s extraordinary outburst clearly demonstrates that the County Board is far from being a happy camp at the moment. Regardless of who is right or wrong on this issue (and in disputes of this kind, you can be fairly sure that the fault is spread widely enough), the Board owe it to every Mayo supporter to cut out the crap and get their act together pronto.
The state of the county board is a worry but what can be done???? They are answerable to…well… em, themselves! Feeney seems to be at the root of all county board blow ups. Only for James Waldrons interjection Mickey Moran would have walked out mid season back in ’06(maybe it would have been a blessing in disguise) because of a squabble with Feeney. I was also at the Club Mayo/Dublin Launch and Mahony was at pains to stress that everyone needs to pull together for the good of mayo football. Feeney was there but must have had the IPOD going or something.
It’s hard enough trying to get things right on the pitch, without our board having a girly fight over who said what.
Despite my reservations with the board at times, at least we rarely used to have our problems aired in public. I can hardly ever recall any board members beig mentioned in the national press, for good or bad reasons. And that’s as it should be.
Christ only knows what’s going on now though.
Hopefully it’s just a snide parting shot from Noelle and that’s the end of it.
I know we’re in trouble though when a Cork friend of mine said, “what’s going on with your board then? Sounds like trouble”. I mean, a CORKMAN!
A Corkman certainly knows trouble when he sees it!
Without wishing to upset Dan or figure out the Mayo county board, reading Ms Horans piece made uncomfortable reading. I did not read it as “a snide” parting shot from the ex P.R.O. Somehow I doubt if that will be the end of it. It may be the end of that spat but as sure as rain falls the next is never far away. By the way ,I thought we had moved away from “girly” stuff. To me it was a male dominated issue v one woman . I for one want our problems aired in public so as we all know whats going on, once aired they will be quickly resolved, rather than left to fester.
I think you took my ‘girly stuff’ comment the wrong way ontheroad! It had no bearing on the fact Noelle was a woman.
I just meant it in terms of petty parting shots that some board members seem to fire against one another.
While it’s all well and good having our problems aired in public, I can’t see how this sheds any light on anything. It was simply a comment with no substance and full of inneundo. I personally don’t feel any more englightened after it anyway.
I mean, how does (“There are a lot of things I could say too, but I’ll withhold my fire. There are two sides to every story”) clarify anything? Just seems a pointless statement to me.
this is pure speculation on my part but…
Did anyone else get the sense that it was a case of all the big boys ganging up on the girl, who dared enter their private club, and she was finally sick of a thousand small slights, and retorted with a parting shot? Maybe I reading way way too much into a short statement. Reckon they have a long way to go to be looking at Cork on level terms
Guys the mayo county board is in a bit of a state at the moment …. As far as Im concerned its jobs for boys … there are only a handful of counties with a full time secretary and guess what we are one of them … Its a full time job as far as Im aware and thus pays a ft salary … encompassed in the secretaries responsibilities is game scheduling… playing an u-21 final last weekend and hurling final in 2nd week in oct to mention just a few is hardly competency exemplified ….. Parting gestures or early warning signs maybe but all is not well ….
perseus.
Just to clear up a few things in your post.
The county secretary has very little to do with game scheduling. Paddy McNicholas Chairs the Fixtures Committee on the county board and they are responsible for all the fixtures. The U21 had to be run late because of the Mayo Minor campaign. The club minor is always played off first and the U21 gets played last. Unfortunately there is not enough weekends in the year to make everyone happy.
Fair play to Noelle Horan for saying out loud what she thinks of certain officers within the County Board. In my opinion she shares those frustrations with almost every club delegate in the county. The delegates in Mayo have little or no say when it comes to the running of affairs in Mayo football. The only voices that are heard are those that are in tandem with the top table, and this has been the case for the past quarter of a century.