(Brendan Moran on left, congratulated by outgoing chairman Terry O’ Neill).
Q&A with our new Chairman Brendan Moran
Congratulations on your new position as Chairman within the club? Have you many plans for the next year?
Over the last 2 years, great strides have been made in the Coaching & Development structures, culminating as it did in the magnificent Coaching Seminar convened on the 9th Feb last. Our focus in the coming years, will continue to enhance our coaching methods, develop and improve our facilities make our games more enjoyable for all our teams and do all we can to get our senior teams to play in Croke Park on St Patricks Day.
You have been involved with the club for 25 years or more – the club is only improving year by year – what do you think we would need to improve on?
The Club has made enormous strides over the last 25 years, culminating in Ballyboden St Enda’s being the only Club nationwide to have won County Senior Championships in all 4 codes. The development of our juvenile structures will continue to be a top priority, which will in turn lead to greater competition at adult games.
Terry has been chairman for the last three years – he will be a hard man to follow?
Terry was a wonderful chairman and contributed so much to the continuing development of our Club. The good news is that he is not going away and will continue to serve on the incoming Executive, where his knowledge and experience will be invaluable.
You have a great executive team behind you – this is always a positive when you are entering a new role?
Yes, I am fortunate that I will be able to put in place an experienced and enthusiastic Executive. However please bear in mind that our Club would account for nothing, only for our hundreds of our members, who volunteer their services, in looking after teams, and maintaining our grounds and club house facilities. Without our volunteers, we are nothing.
How have your family taken to you accepting this new role?
They are delighted for me and wish me every success. I partly suspect however, that they are just as pleased that I will be “out of their hair” much more in the future.
Finally – the club has over 80 teams and we have hundreds of volunteers – what would you like to say to members of the club?
I think nationwide, now that the Celtic Tiger era has collapsed, that there is a return to the core issues of what really is important in our lives. There is no doubt in this regard, that community development will once again be a core value. So what better place than our Club, Ballyboden St Enda’s being the centre of communal activity, when we have so much to offer. So I would urge all our volunteers to continue with their current activities and utilise the Clubhouse more for other social activities. I would also ask our members to invite their friends and neighbours to our Club, where apart from the games, we organise other activites such as Art & Photography, Set Dancing, Golf Society, Bingo, Card Schools, Walking Club, Pool and Music & Drama. We have so much to offer.