PRO Report to Convention

2011 was another busy year for Coiste Chontae Liatroma and we are fortunate to have a very pro-active and talented PRO team working at county and provincial level. The team is responsible for ensuring that the day to day duties of website maintenance and document preparation are maintained and new initiatives are rolled out.

Match Programmes

Match programmes were made available for club league and championship games for all grades and this was through the hard work of the staff in Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada. Full colour match programmes were again produced by Coiste Chontae Liatroma for all our National League home games and for the Intermediate and Senior/Minor County Finals. The feedback on the programmes has been very positive from within and outside the County. They are produced to the highest standard and much of the credit must go to James Molloy who helps me with their design and supplies all the wonderful photographic material. Looking back over the programmes produced by Coiste Chontae Liatroma over the years it is clear that they have improved year after year and we will strive to continue this trend.

 

Leitrim GAA Website

In so far as is possible, local GAA news items are submitted on a daily basis. I would like to thank all the contributors to the website as their valued input helps make it the success it is. The site now contains a considerable amount of information and visitor numbers continue to grow. The fixtures and results of approximately 1,200 games and associated league tables, in conjunction with daily news items and an events calendar, make it a very popular site. The local, provincial and national news feeds available on the website are also extremely popular and are available from the following sources:-

Connacht GAA / National GAA / RTE News / TV3 News / Setanta / BBC Sport

The Photo Gallery section has in excess of 30,000 images and this section proves to be most popular with our visitors. Full credit must go to our own James Molloy who continues to capture the very best of Leitrim GAA. In addition to the Photo Gallery we also have a Video Gallery which is also extremely popular and this is maintained by Brian Blake and Ithank him sincerely for all his work throughout the year.

In 2011, the Servasport system was further enhanced and more developments are due in 2012. In summary the system allows for the following: 

  • automated notification of fixtures to referees

  • to take results from referees and automatically submit them on the website and to the media.

In 2012 we will be continue to enhance the Leitrim GAA website and the following areas will receive particular attention:- 

  • Secondary Schools Competitions and Results

  • Ladies Fixtures/Results

  • Website administrators training 

Twitter

If you are familiar with Twitter – a feed is available on the website and it is without doubt one of the best ways to share and discover what is happening while on the move or away from home. As information is released on the website it is automatically released as a tweet. We have a large following on Twitter and in 2011 Leitrim GAA tweeted live match updates from the Division 4 Allianz National League games and Connacht Football Championship. The tweets are not just of benefit to our members and supporters, as the national media also use it for instant information and results pick up. 

Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada Murals

The Meeting Room in Pairc Sean has beenÓgreatly enhanced by the inclusion of a number of wall murals depicting historical highlights from the workings of Coiste Chontae Liatroma from its foundation right up to the present day. Sean Ó Súilleabháin, Tommy Moran and James Molloy have done a magnificent job in the research of relevant material, which is portrayed most attractively and in spectacular design format. Sign Warehouse Drumshanbo also deserve credit for the professionalism shown in the printing process of the murals.

All who have seen the murals have thoroughly enjoyed the nostalgic peep into the past. If you have not had the opportunity as yet to view the display, then a visit to the Meeting Room is recommended. Our committee is examining the feasibility of reproducing the murals in a reduced size format that could be made available for purchase by anyone interested in the history of CLG in Leitrim. 

VHI GAA Cul Camps

Thanks to Tomas Keenan for ensuring that the 2011 VHI Cul Camps were promoted in our match day programmes, on our website and in the local media. Children and families throughout the County will cherish these photographs for many years to come. In an admirable initiative to promote more use of the Irish language at GAA events, Leitrim County Council produced a booklet containing everyday phrases translated into Irish. The publication was distributed to all the children participating in this year’s VHI GAA Cul Camps throughout the county. 

Into The West GAA Magazine

The Into the West magazine is a bi-monthly GAA production by Connacht GAA. In 2011 there was excellent coverage of GAA activities in Leitrim featured in the magazine. Clubs are reminded to make submissions on a monthly basis and I encourage them to use this magazine as ameans of promoting their club to a wider audience. Clubs or individuals can sign up for a free electronic copy of the magazine which will be emailed directly to them. Details available at www.connachtgaa.ie/magazine.php. 

Communications and Information Technology

As clubs plan for their future I would ask them to pay particular attention to the areas of communications and information technology. All club PROs were issued with GAA email accounts to facilitate the dissemination of information. The account is identical to that of the club secretary in that it facilitates them in areas such as sharing of documents, calendaring and website development. Club websites continue to flourish and I would urge each club to actively maintain their site and to recognise the promotional and communication value of a resource that is accessible worldwide. The club PRO should make the club notes available on the site on a weekly basis and make every effort to add photos and features on an onÓgoing basis. Old club websites using the original GAA server were switched off in December, 2010 and every club can now have their club website with the â€Å“gaa.ieâ€Â name extension hosted for an annual payment of €20 on the new GAA Google based platform. The system does not require any â€Å“software knowledgeâ€Â, is relatively easy to use and I would encourage any club which does not have a web presence to consider this option. Further national IT developments are planned for 2012 and they include: 

  • the roll out of the Intranet to specific accounts

  • The roll out of an E Learning environment which will apply equally to officers and coaches within clubs. 

Appreciation

I would like to thank the clubs, County Board Officers, various committees and the Senior County Management team for their support all year. A special word of thanks must go to James Molloy, Brendan Doyle, Attracta O’Reilly, Sean Ã’ Suilleabháin, Declan Bohan, Colin Regan, Aiden Kellegher and Tommy Moran who were all very obliging to me during the year when I called upon them for help with match programmes and the website. Attracta and her team of programme sellers are an invaluable asset and on behalf of Coiste Chontae Liatroma thanks again to Attracta and all the boys and girls who brave the elements on match days. I take this opportunity to thank Declan Bohan for his professionalism in his role as Runaí CCC over the last seven years and congratulate him on a job well done. 

I liaise on a regular basis with officials in the communications department in Croke Park, Connacht Council and with PROs in other counties. I take this opportunity to thank them for their assistance throughout the year and look forward to working with them again in 2012. 

I would like to convey my sincere thanks to the members of the local media who continue to promote our activities. Special thanks to John Connolly, Philip Rooney and Willie Donnellan in the Leitrim Observer, PJ Leddy, Kevin Blessing and Darragh Cox from Ocean FM and John Lynch, Willie Hegarty, Tony Ghee and Seamus Gallagher from Shannonside. Thanks also to all of the National Publications that have given coverage to our activities over 2011, in particular the weekly publication of results of club games. 

Conclusion

In conclusion I would like to take this opportunity to convey my sincere sympathy to any of our members who were bereaved during the year. Like everyone in the Leitrim GAA fraternity I wish both Mickey Moran and John Morrison speedy returns to full health. I wish all Leitrim County Teams the very best of luck in 2012 and I wish you all a happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year. 

Collette Nic an tSionnaigh

 

 

28-Dec-11 by Colette Fox – PRO