Chairperson's Report to AGM 2026
A chairde Faughs, Bhur gcéad fáilte chuig ár gCruinniú Ginearálta Bliantúil. Bhí bliain gnóthach eile againn ach ag an deireadh bhí sé ráthúil.
This report will be presented as alongside the club plan which was published on the Club app in January last. The following areas were focus areas in the club plan,
· Football Focus
Election of Football Development Coordinator on Executive
This appointment was made at the first executive meeting last December and saw Eoghan McTiernan move into a role that saw him assist Ray McArdle in his role.
Manager appointments
Part of the role mentioned above was the appointment of appropriate management teams for each underage team for both boys and girls. This was done in consultation with the executive and saw the appointment of team managers for over 60 Faughs teams. With the expectation of the senior ladies management team, all other management groups were in place in December / January. Thank you to everyone who offered to coach / manage teams. Your contribution to the development of our young players is very much appreciated.
Coach development
It is imperative that irrespective of the role we undertake in the club, that we endeavour to be the best we can be in that role. Coaching is the most important role in the club as without good coaches and coaching, our players will not develop. Coaching courses were made available during the year, however, that does not mean that coaches for various reasons were in a position to attend.
Schools Programme
The executive wanted to ensure that there would be a Faughs presence in all our local primary schools. Thanks to Paul O’Connor we once again had a presence in our schools and I know from speaking with teachers and parents that Paul’s work was well received and very much appreciated by the schools. As well as recruitment, this word also promotes our Easter and Summer camps and Muckno Mania event.
Child Protection
Thanks to the excellent work of Bernard McDonald, who has led our work in this area, we are in a position to say that our compliance by way of our responsibilities to child protection is in an excellent position. Thank you to everyone who has undertaken child protection training and thank you to all coaches and members for ensuring that any concerns are addressed in an appropriate manner.
Strength and Conditioning
The club has committed itself to providing facilities and personnel to lead the club’s strength and conditioning programme. Thank you to Brian Flanagan and Eoghan McTienan for their work with our juvenile teams and ladies senior team. Our senior men’s S and C was led by Ross Lowey. Even though facilities and personnel were made available, it didn’t necessarily result in buy in from players. This is something that will be addressed in the coming year.
Investigate the merits and otherwise of appointing a full-time club coach
At last year’s AGM the executive agreed to investigate the appointment of a full-time club coach. For various reasons including, funding, oversight and the appointment of a very suitable candidate to another role , we are not in a position to bring a name for appointment to this AGM. However, work in this area is ongoing.
Thank you to Ray McArdle for his work as Coaching and Games Coordinator. This is an onerous task which requires significant time. Ray was involved in every area listed above and also in the coordination of preseason juvenile programmes and the various club camps which were held during the year.
Club Blitz.
Thank you to Derek O’Sullivan and his team for the excellent coordination and running of the Dickie Sullivan Memorial Blitz which saw teams from throughout the country in St. Mary’s Park for an excellent day’s football. Thank you also to Eamon Hughes and his team for the U 12 girls blitz which also proved to be very successful.
· Facilities Development
New generator
Thanks in no small way to club member, Niall Mulligan, we were in a position to invest in a generator that can simultaneously power both pitches. The new generator is also more energy efficient.
Commence building of new toilet block at the main entrance
Members will have seen the work done at the entrance are at St. Mary’s Park. The work done in constructing the new toilet block was augmented by work on the area between the stand and the entrances. Aidi Irwin deserves tremendous credit for his work on this project and his patience regarding payment. Rory and Gerry McMahon sponsored and completed the painting of the entrance walls and this has enhanced the overall presentation of our grounds. Pat Merrick and his team will complete this work by painting the gates and wall caps.
New pitch development
The proposed redevelopment of the juvenile pitch in conjunction with Castleblayney College and Cavan Monaghan ETB is currently with the planning department at Monaghan County Council. The plan is to see a skills wall developed at the road end of the field, a full-sized playing field and in the long-term floodlighting. The skills wall will be cost neutral to the Faughs, thanks to a Sports Capital Grant to Castleblayney College and Castleblayney Hurling Club. In lieu of our leading the funding of the juvenile pitch development, the dressing rooms will return to Faughs ownership. We will have to secure funding from the Sport Capital fund to be in a position to commence this project. Thank you Martin Brady, Melissa and David for your work on this initiative.
Carpark development
Thanks to developments in the vicinity of St. Mary’s Park we were in a position to develop the first third of a three phase car park development at the Dundalk Road end. When work commences on the juvenile pitch, material will become available to build up the remaining areas.
Clubhouse Facility Development
Martin Brady is currently looking at options available to the club for the development of new dressing rooms and club facilities on our grounds at St. Mary’s Park. This is part of long-term planning, however it is imperative that when our playing facilities are in position we should be looking at a new club base at St. Mary’s Park.
Thank you to our Facilities Development Coordinator Martin Brady, Pat Merrick, Gerry, Johnny and Myles for all their work developing and maintaining our facilities in and around St. Mary's Park. I think members will agree that as a club we have progressed on the excellent work of previous executives and that our facilities continue to improve and are presented in a very appropriate way at all times.
· Funding and Fundraising
Our Treasurer David has given a detailed report on the funding challenges we faced in the past year and facing our club on an annual basis. Although attendance at home games improved this year, game admission as a revenue stream is nowhere near sufficient to meet the financial needs of an ambitious GAA club. The financial priorities for this year were to meet our day to day expenses, and to continue to repay residual debt. The areas outlined below are essential elements in our club’s finances.
Bingo and Lotto promotion
Bingo is now in Iontas and the numbers attending has increased. Our Bingo team of David Funcheon, Mickey Conlon, Melissa Conlon, Marese Sherry, Stephen Duffy, Clare and Francis McElroy and the Iontas staff organise the event on a weekly basis with some additional support when needed. That said the aim of having a number of bingo teams to look after bingo for a cycle during the year remains in place.
David and Billy Funcheon almost singlehandedly manage our club lotto. We have attempted to broaden the number of participants by moving to ClubSpot, however, this move has as of yet proved to be less than a success. As David has outlined, Faughs Bingo and Lotto are our financial life blood and we need support running both.
Club Draw
The GAA’s national club draw is an important start of year source of funding for our club. All monies raised from ticket sales go back to the club. This year it is proposed that all funds raised from the draw will go towards coaching. Parents and players alike are asked to support the draw by selling tickets. Thank you to everyone who promotes this draw.
Music Festival
David has reported on the music festival. The festival is a huge club event which brings the membership together to plan, promote and run the weekend. The festival is also a very significant physical drain on a small number of people. Once again, our treasurer David deserves tremendous credit for his work on this event. The merits and otherwise of holding a festival next summer will be discussed by the incoming executive.
Quid Games
Our year ended with a hugely successful Quid Games fundraising event. The membership rallied to support the event and as a fundraising and club event this was a huge success. Thank you to Cara McDermott the chairperson of the Quid games organising committee and her team for the professional manner in which this event was run.
Golf Classic
The Maurice Hanratty Golf Classic is a very important mid-season source of revenue for the club. It is generously supported by club members and local businesses alike. The orgaising committee is led by treasurer David and thanks to the generosity of our major sponsors Thomas O’Neill and James and George Duffy, the Hanratty family and the team at Concra Wood, this event continues to be an important club event.
Breakfast morning
Thanks to our senior teams for organising this event. Thank you also to the staff at Iontas and local sponsors who provide the ingredients.
Operation TransFaughsMation
OTFM is more than a fundraising initiative in that it is an integral part of our heathy club programme. That said Tom Millar, Louisa O’Brien and their team deserve great credit for everything this initiative brings to our club,
Finance Sub Committee
The Finance sub committee did not meet this year as the members of the committee were so actively involved in other club work. I propose that in an effort to distribute the workload associated with club finance and funding, that the finance subcommittee is reconvened in the coming year.
Sponsorship
As a club we are indebted to all our sponsors, but particularly to our main sponsors Declan Loughman, Loughman Sports and Pete and Paula McMahon, McMahon’s SuperValu and Centra. When funds were very low during the year we had to call on the generosity of one club member in particular who will I know prefer to remain anonymous. His generosity in helping us through a challenging time financially this year is very much appreciated.
Membership
The executive has proposed an increase in membership fees. This decision was not taken lightly, however to ensure that what we offer as a club to our players and members is as it should be, the executive fees that an increase is unavoidable.
· Club Executive Management
Thank you to our executive members who give freely of their time to help manage the affairs of Castleblayney Faughs. Alongside those previously mentioned, I would like to thank Francis McGuigan, vice chairperson and liaison with the senior men’s team, Linda McCahey Sheehan the club’s assistant secretary and liaison with the ladies committee, Cara McDermott, assistant treasurer and Quid Games committee chairperson, Derek Sulivan the club registrar, Clare McElroy, Culture and Community delegate and alongside Francis, they lead our shop volunteers and are ourclub volunteers of the year and Brian Sherry Co. Board delegate, Martin Brady Club Development, Ray McArdle and Eoghan McTiernan Coaching and Games and Bernard McDonald Child Safety and Protection.
Club Communications
At last year’s AGM a commitment was given to improve communication with players and members. We purchased ClubSpot to help with this. Currently just short of 500 people have access to ClubSpot. This is used to publish the weekly club notes, to sell lotto and other tickets, send messages to members, publicise events and manage membership. The club App though useful has potential to be better. Our notes were also published in the Northern Standard. Thank you to everyone who assists in the writing of the notes on a weekly basis by submitting match reports and other material for inclusion. Thank you also to Glen Murphy for the use of his excellent photography and Benny McElroy for his outstanding videography. Benny’s twins video was very well received and appreciated by Faughs people near and far. With the Northern Standard no longer available we will have to look again at how best to speak about and promote about our club. In the new year we will launch a new website ot www.castleblayneyfaughs.ie and look again at the merits and otherwise of continuing with ClubSpot. We will also have to look at using other local print media.
David Funcheon
Members will know that our treasurer David is not seeking re-election for the coming year. David is involved in the Faughs since his schooldays. David as Faughs treasurer has meticulously managed the finances of the club. Recent significant developments around St. Mary’s Park have seen the club involved in major fundraising initiatives. David was to the fore of these efforts. He reestablished Faughs Bingo and built it into one of most successful bingos in the North East. Under his stewardship Faughs Lotto moved online and became a significant part of club funding. David’s astute business acumen saw him source funding from a number of funding bodies allowing the club to proceed with additional developments with backing funding for these applications coming from initiatives like the Castleblayney Music Festival which David spearheaded. David may be stepping down as club treasurer, however Faughs to the fore, he will remain actively involved in Faughs Lotto, Bingo and fundraising initiatives.
Melissa Conlon
Melissa rejoined the executive as secretary for the second time, two years ago. Her commitment and dedication to the Faughs is outstanding. Melissa’s administrative ability is second to none as is her knowledge of the GAA as an organisation, its people and its rules. Melissa was a constant source of support to myself as chairperson throughout the past two years and on behalf of the club I would like to place on record the club's appreciation of her work. Thankfully Melissa will remain involved in a non-executive role for the coming year.
Referees
Congratulations to Raymond Malone on his selection as county final referee. Thank you also to our other club referees, Darren McQuillan and Brendan Carr. We have an obligation under county board rules to referee 25 games by July 1st each year. I expect that we will attain that number in the coming year.
Iontas
Thank you to Iontas manager Darren McQuillan for the use of their facilities throughout the year.
· Football Review
Ray has given a comprehensive review of the year on the field. As chairperson of the club, I would like to pay a special tribute to our coaches who give so much to develop the talent within our club. Castleblayney Faughs is Gaelic Football club. We are all bound together by a common love and passion for the Blayney Faughs and the game of Gaelic football. We have a responsibility to the future of our club to ensure that our players from U6 to senior have an opportunity to develop as players and as people. The Football Development Committee is currently working on looking at how best we can progress coach and player development for the coming year and years. I respectfully ask all coaches to engage with this committee in their deliberations.
Our senior team managed by Paul O’Connor and his management team and their winning promotion back to senior ranks was an obvious highlight of the year. Winning the reserve double were also highlights. There is no doubt that our senior players have adapted to the new playing rules and with the help of our more senior players, those new to the senior ranks are also progressing as players.
As members will know, we were removed from the intermediate league at the quarter final stages. This as a club we felt was grossly unfair and had to be challenged. I would like to place on record the club’s appreciation of the advice given by club member Michael Burns and others within the GAA as we planned for and prepared our appeal. Thankfully our appeal was successful and after our reinstatement, Paul and the boys did the rest seeing us back to senior ranks.
· Members who have passed away.
At every AGM it is important to remember Faughs members who are no longer with us. The club this year had to stand with so many families who have experienced loss. From personal experience I know how important this support and solidarity is. It would be remiss for me not to mention the passing of Nudie Hughes. As a player, coach and friend, Nudie was dear to the hearts of so many Faughs people. Declan Loughman spoke for us all when he delivered his excellent and heartfelt oration at Nudie’s graveside. It is fair to say that Nudie got an appropriate Faughs farewell and I know his family appreciated it.
· In conclusion
Next year will see our senior men back in the senior ranks. This is a very exciting prospect but will be no means be an easy one. I have no doubt that under Paul and Mickey’s direction we will acquit ourselves very well. Our senior ladies have begun preparations for their participation in next year’s intermediate competitions. With the experience of two years as seniors, I have no doubt that Eamon and his team will do very well this year. As I said earlier, the most important thing we do as a club is to prepare our players to wear the green and with pride. Our coaches have a very important and responsible role to play. It is imperative that we coach to the highest standards in a player safe environment. With this in mind I respectfully ask that our coaches attend all coaching and safeguarding training events and that player participation and welfare is to the fore of everything we do as a club.
Alongside coaching the club requires administrators and volunteers. Thank you to everyone who has agreed to let their names go forward for positions on the Faughs executive. I wish our new executive members well in their respective roles. There will be additional roles on sub committees and allowing your name to go forward for these committees will be very welcome.
I thank you all and especially Melissa, David and the executive for your kindness and courtesy especially during the last few months.
Faughs abú
Reamon MacAodha
Cathaoirleach