You may or may not have noticed that the first two parts of the story under the same headings appeared well over a year ago Though that was prior seeing Prime Investigates programme last week
Wherein, the financial disaster which has befallen and ultimately led to the downfall of Parnells GAA Club in Coolock, Dublin was laid out in garish detail. One of the oldest and most storied clubs in the capital, in terms of on-field deeds, the club’s story has been illuminated over the past two decades by being able to call the legendary, iconic, trailblazing Stephen Cluxton their own.
Stephen is a unique character. Undoubtedly the best sales representative the GAA – particularly in Dublin – could ever have. Yet also the most reluctant. Thus it was for that very reason that his decision to write to the Executive Committee of the Coolock club caught so many off guard. Not to mention that he allowed – perhaps sought – the content of his correspondence with the club to be made public.
Therein, he said he “(Didn’t) agree with players being headed-hunted or certain players being afforded certain perks” – clear references to the influx of country players to the club in pursuance of Dublin SFC honours. Now, country folk playing club football in Dublin is nothing new – sure clubs such as Banba and Sean Mac Dermotts and Civil Service were founded on such basis. Indeed, none other than my great friend the late Paddy McIntyre Snr played with Mac’s, Offaly and Dublin before we were privileged and blessed to have him join us in Dunboyne.
So you wouldn’t need to be Hawking to discover that it was whatever enticements were deployed in order to coax the countrymen to Coolock which ground Cluxton’s gears to the point of sparking. To such an extent, indeed, that the game’s greatest goalkeeper – who plays at centre half back for his club – went to the extent of having himself regraded to play with Parnells’ second team.
For those not au fait with the intricacies of GAA administration, any club that fields more than one adult team has to name eight players who CANNOT drop down to their second team. Naturally, you’d imagine you’re county player – never mind the most decorated player in the history of the association – would be in that top eight.
Which is why Stephen took the very unusual step of having himself regraded so that he could play with the club’s second string by way of dignified protest at the way the club was being run. Adding that he was “Disgusted” that it was now in debt.
However, that such was the case was about as surprising as a cow giving milk when one pored over some of the jaw breaking sums of money Parnells were outlaying on expenses before going anywhere their contractual obligations to the Marist Fathers from whom they bought land for €11m after selling land at Collinstown – close to Dublin Airport – for twice that sum. Theoretically, then, the had the other half of the sale proceeds with which to build the sports hall and ball wall which were “owed” to the religious order.
But no. Instead, there appears to have been no financial oversight or corporate governance. You are probably wondering, and with good reasoning, why such phrases as above would be in any way applicable to a supposedly amateur sports organisation. But therein lies the stone in the plum.
Eyes were so obviously taken off balls in relation to the very basic ethos and operations of a GAA Club. The games, the people, the community hub. Instead of that, in the epicentre of Coolock village itself and the rest of Parnells’ catchment area, they now had the GAA club listed as part of the name of a limited company.
All of which could hardly be further removed from amateurism. I have never made any secret of my views with regard to professionalism in the GAA and am not about to make a hypocrite of myself.
However, there’s a right way to do it, and there’s a wrong way. And, without stating the blindingly obvious, Parnells certainly could’ve gone about things in a better way than turned out to be the case.
You can be sure there were old Gaels of Parnells turning in their graves at what has become of Dublin’s second oldest club. Among them a great man who did the State some service. The same applied to Parnells. CJH.
Looking at it from the outside in, the reasons for the demise of the storied club hardly needs any further illustration, but you do have to wonder why, at no stage, nobody shouted STOP. Well, of course they did, eventually, but you know what they say about being late closing the stable door.
I can only assume Stephen (Cluxton) was listed as being affiliated with the entity supposedly catering for what was the Parnells catchment area, even though, if my understanding of the situation is correct (by no means guaranteed) the newly established Cumann Pobaill Parnell isn’t located anywhere near what was Parnells territory.
So, in the words of the late, great Jerry Springer, here’s my final thought. If you take a club out of its territory or alter the fundamentals thereof, you strip the soul out of the club and, by extension, whatever bit of community spirit there is.
Of course, it will be said that new memories and new history can and will be made under the new entity, which is of course true. But the past can never be replayed, the road traveled again. The faces brought back, the experienced lived again. I’ve seen it within my own club. A half century of history, generosity and community spirit washed away at the stroke of a pen.
Now, thankfully, in our case, legacy preservation was achieved to some extent – though in my view these things can always be done better – and, in fairness, on foot of one chapter in our club’s long and storied history being closed, others have either begun or been brought to total fruition.
Whereas in the case of Parnells, for all the lavish spending, ‘recruited’ players and all that went with it, what have they to show for it? Not only did they not win the county championship which was so desperately sought, but they lost more than any county title would ever be worth. Be careful what you wish for.
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