Offaly GAA sponsor urges children to consider apprenticeships and career in trades

ONE of Offaly GAA's most important sponsors has urged young children to consider embarking on apprenticeships and careers in the trades.

Managing Director of Condron Concrete, John Condron revealed last week that they have had to recruit staff from abroad to fill important roles in the company and have ongoing problems with getting employees.

One of Tullamore's biggest employers and one of the largest indigenous companies in the county, Condron Concrete currently employ 170 people and speaking last week at a promotional event to mark their sponsorship of Offaly GAA's coaching and games development programme, John Condron revealed that they could take on near 200 people at the moment if the workers were there..

Condron Concrete was established by a well known Killeigh man, the late John Condron in 1969, making concrete pipes initially before branching out. They have grown from small beginnings to becoming a true giant and with GAA personnel permeating their work force and management, Offaly GAA were delighted to secure them as a major sponsor on a three year deal last year.

Condron's sponsorship is helping fund the employment of Offaly GAA full time coaches as well as providing playing equipment for national and secondary schools.

Offaly GAA chairman Tom Parlon stated last week that Condron's sponsorship will help drive participation numbers in both urban and rural primary schools.

It will help Offaly GAA roll out a new Croke Park and Leinster GAA programme for primary schools called “Gaelic Time” and it will also facilitate the provision of additional football and sliotars for the county's 67 primary schools, all proudly sporting the Condron Concrete logo.

This new programme will help engage children with gaelic games on a weekly basis during the school year and Condron's sponsorship is pivotal to this as it helps fund the coaches that deliver it.

John Condron, son of the company founder, is clearly embracing their sponsorship of Offaly GAA and he said last week: “It is great to help all the clubs and kids. It is great for Offaly, it is great to be involved with Offaly. My father and mum were very involved in the GAA and it is great to give back to the community. You have to start from the roots and work it up.”

He spoke about Offaly's Leinster minor football win this year while Tom Parlon thanked them for their support, noting: “We can only thrive by bringing on the youngsters. We are competing with other sports as well. We need to engage the kids at national schools. Being able to supply hundreds of football and sliotars out to the schools is great and by branding them Condron's is an acknowledgement of the funding they are putting in.”

Mr Parlon noted that the sliotars are O'Meara ones, a Shinrone company, stating: “It is a double Offaly support”.

He stated that Condron's sponsorship was a very special one for Offaly GAA. “We don't have many big multi national corporates in the county. When we have the likes of Condron's and Glenlisk (Offaly GAA main sponsors), two fabulous companies whose roots are in the county and are spreading out wide, it is great to have them on board and we really appreciate that support.”

John Condron spoke with passion about providing games and activity for young children. “It is great to get into the schools, to get them thinking about hurling and football, he said, prompting Tom Parlon to quip that it might get them thinking about a career in Condron Concrete as well.

This prompted John Condron to reflect on business matters. “It is impossible to get people at present so that is a big thing going forward. I know there is third level education but there is also very good jobs out there, whether you are a mechanic, a fitter, a machine operator, a truck driver. They are well paid jobs and there are plenty of opportunities out there.”

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He revealed: “I unfortunately had to start recruiting abroad as I can't get people here. That is the reality. People don't have to go third level. My father didn't go third level education, I don't think he did his Leaving Certificate. Third level education is good but you don't have to go there. There is people out there who it isn't for and there are plenty of opportunity in industry for people. I have 170 and I could do with another 20 more. It is impossible, I am bringing people in from Portugal, Bulgaria. I can't get people here. That is the reality. Others will say the same thing.”