Tom Parlon looks to future as he chairs his first Offaly County Board Meeting

TOM Parlon was granted his wish for a gentle introduction when he chaired his first Offaly GAA County Board recently.

The Coolderry man replaced Michael Duignan, Durrow at Convention last December and has hit the ground running, attending several meetings and functions and impressing all with his passion for the GAA.

Mr Parlon missed Convention in December as he was out of the country on a prearranged holiday and he thanked the clubs for electing him. He praised Michael Duignan and fellow officers for their work over the past five years, stating that it was all outlined in a comprehensive interview with Duignan in the Tribune.

Mr Parlon described it as a huge honour to be elected and noted that this was his first ever County Board meeting to attend. “A lot of work has gone on in the past few years,” he noted, adding: “We will all work together. We all have a lot of work to do and it will take a lot of money to keep the wheels turning.”

He added: “The GAA is an incredible organisation and we want to keep the wheels turning and try to improve on last year.”

He also joked that he would appreciate a handy meeting to introduce him to County Board life and he certainly got that wish.

There was very little business to be completed at last week's meeting and certainly nothing contentious.

Fr Arnold Rosney of Birr was elected as the new assistant treasurer while Tullamore's Niamh Clarke is the new Cultural Officer. Peter Lyons, Drumcullen and Keith Screeney, Kilcormac-Killoughey were ratified as the board's Health and Safety Officer, and Coiste na nOg chairman, respectively. A new referees' administrator will be appointed at the next meeting as the incumbent Denis Hoctor is now vice chairman.

Fr Rosney's appointment was significant in that it is the first time a clergy man has served as an officer since late Clara based Franciscan, Br Sylvester Carney stepped down as Youth Officer in 2001. For decades from the start in 1884 until 1984 when Fr Sean Heaney stepped down, priests served as chairman of Offaly GAA while other clergy men held other positions – most of the early chairmen were priests while men of the cloth, Fr Edmund Vaughan, Fr John McWey and Fr Sean Heaney were all at the helm during Offaly's big successes in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

Various reports were presented by officers while Mr Parlon supported a passionate plea by new board vice chairman Denis Hoctor for clubs to supply new referees. Mr Hoctor stated that even ten new referees would make all the difference and Mr Parlon pleaded with clubs, particularly those with no referee, to respond.

Mr Parlon remarked: “Without referees, we will have no games. You need a certain personality to be a referee. Every club has people but they need to be approached and asked to do the job.”

A number of transfer requests were read out at the meeting and immediately referred to the Competitions Control Committee for adjudication – that is normal procedure.

The regulations for the Offaly championships were also approved. Most are routine, yearly ones while a new addition this year is the official appointment of linesmen for senior and senior “B” games – the competing clubs will pay €25 to one linesman each.

This led to a query about Revenue examining GAA finances and it prompted Mr Parlon to reveal that Croke Park have taken over the negotiations with them. He hoped that the new Minister for Finance will have the cop on to talk to Revenue and tell them of the very important role the GAA plays in Ireland. “We need volunteers and hopefully common sense will prevail,” he smiled.

Approval was also given for Offaly GAA to take out a long term lease on an additional 15 acres at Faithful Fields in Kilcormac. Mr Parlon stated that it represented a great opportunity for Offaly GAA to add to their facilities there. “It has great potential,” he stated, admitting that outright purchase would have been the “ideal solution” but it was “not available to us”.

And that was basically that as the entire affair was wrapped up in little over an hour.