November 2014 was the start of an action-packed journey as yours truly took on the mantle as PRO of CLG Cora Chaitlín.
Becoming one of the youngest members to ever sit on the Club Executive has been an incredibly rewarding experience. When one lives and breathes for the club, having a say, no matter how big or small in how it is run, allows for change and this in turn creates the possibility for progress.
When it came to the communications of the club, some of those changes brought in were the return of Tradraí, the redesigning of a revamped club website, major growth of our social media channels, publishing the club’s first ever e-newsletter and much more. All of the above showcase our progress.
Working with people living in and from your locality is also satisfying. The generous support of local businesses and organisations is incredible, so too those who freely give of their time in various positions and the Blues that travel the length and breadth of Co Clare supporting Newmarket-on-Fergus, this figure can increase though, ní neart go cur le chéile.
Being on the Executive opens one’s eyes to the amount of thankless jobs that must be carried out in order for success on and off the field. Every Blue has a role to play and a contribution to make. At the moment this contribution could be big such as a young or old hurler/camogie player, or the smaller ones of liking/sharing club posts on Facebook or retweeting from the Twitter machine spreading our gospel. Everyone has something to offer CLG Cora Chaitlín, time is precious but so is the club so give what you can.
Taking on the PRO gig and doing it justice means following all teams in the club. This has been worthwhile in getting to know the next generation and their loyal supporters. Also getting to attend every NOF Junior B hurling championship game in the period has been a treat, we have some brilliant role models on this panel and their character is something to behold, not every team or management would take the slagging from our Twitter machine in jest, but these guys do and it’s no surprise why they’ve contested three finals in two years and they’re going to get over the line very soon with John Hannon as manager.
Each team must get equal coverage and support in our club. Everyone that puts in an effort to represent our club at the very least deserves this as success is never guaranteed.
In terms of communications, it’s fair to say our club is reaching its potential. However the same cannot be said for all our underage teams. In light of this, this will be my final report as PRO of our club, for 2018 the focus will be on getting teams in our club to try reach their potential, as well as lining out with the Blues. It will not be an easy task but exerting such energy into up and coming players will hopefully leave our club in a stronger position on the pitch. In our wonderful history some great players have come through our club ranks, the time has come to find some more!
Many thanks to all who have assisted during this three year spell; those who read articles, followed our social media channels, all Executive members, local media, players, mentors, supporters, members, Mary Power and all in the Parish Office, members of Tradraí committees, photographers, Declan Murphy of Clubify and McNamara Printers.
Yours In Sport,
Páraic ‘Paudie’ McMahon
#AllezLesBleus