mcpaddens for clonmore ?

[hectors horse]

It’s unfortunate if a transfer like this is allowed to go through but, unfortunately, there seems to be very little that our County Board (or most CB’s in the country to be fair) are interested in doing about this type of thing in terms of stamping it out long term.

I don’t know anything about the McPadden case but I’ve seen countless transfers going across the table at CB meetings with addresses on them that the dogs on the street knows are false. I don’t like printing it here because the cases would become obvious but some of the things that have been handed in with transfer forms as proof of address would make you wonder why we bother persevering with boundaries at all when it’s so obvious (and disgracefully so imo) that players and clubs are willing to flout the rules and administrators are willing to facilitate it.

Similar to this case, all the transfers we hear about seem to be into bigger, more successful clubs and it has all the appearance of glory hunting in the extreme. Fair enough, some players are just after glory and there’s nothing you can do about it but it goes so much against what we were all brought up to believe that the GAA stood for that it’s sickening to see it happen. I’m not sure how this transfer came about but if it was like a number of others over the years, someone had a quiet word to enforce to the players how much they could win and it snowballed from there. I wanted Rhode to beat Kilmacud for the good of Offaly GAA as much as anyone, but I wish nothing only defeat on any club that involves themselves is this kind of behaviour.

Thousands upon thousands of men have put on their club jerseys for years and years and never won a single medal but I would wager that they’re happier men than those who chased the glory. I know in my neck of the woods, those that honoured the club jersey when there was nothing to be evidently gained from doing so are considered heroes by those who carry on the tradition today and that’s something you’ll never gain wearing another clubs jersey.

Before anyone thinks that I’m sitting smoking a pipe beside an open fire and lamenting for the good old days, I would like to point out that I’m not just bashing transfers for the sake of it. When a player moves to an area too far from home to commute to play, it’s great to be able to join the local GAA club and integrate yourself into the community and keep active in the games and indeed, this is one of the aspects that makes the association as great as it is.

As for lads transferring to Dublin clubs, there’s usually the offer of a job and it can be very hard to resist. That doesn’t by any means make it anywhere near right but, it does put pressure on the player, especially if he’s young and impressionable and attracted to the bright lights.

Maybe I’m just narky because I face my second two and a quarter hour journey to get to train with my club this week but this kind of stuff is annoying.

[RhodeRunner]

Now am I mistaken, or have the lads only had an address in Rhode for a year or so?

Yes, They moved to Rhode last year.

[The Magpie]

Right now, there are two separate threads on this site, with pretty much the same themes running through them.

In one thread, Kevin Corrigan has expressed the "need" for amalgamating (some might consider, re-uniting) splintered Parish groups, which he believes to be the solution to improving the standard of football in Offaly. In this thread, we're discussing whether two guys should be able to choose who they play football for - and they happen to want to play for one of the best teams in Leinster.

The similarities are intriguing. Both appear to be pushing against the traditionally held beliefs associated with the GAA, in favour of success. However, while Kevin Corrigans views appear to echo the sentiment of a man that never really experienced the real meaning of a club, it's hard to know if the same can be said of the McPaddens. It appears that all of the Clonmore youngsters play their underage football with Rhode. If that's the case and if it's true that these guys have played through their entire underage career with Rhode, it might just be that Rhode feels like their club. Have they ever played any level of football with Clonmore? Where did they go to school? These are questions that I honestly don't know the answers to, but they are important.

With the underage agreement in place, there's a real cloud of duality in this whole situation. If these guys were looking for a transfer to another successful club, distinctly separated from Rhode, both at underage and geographically, you'd make quite the argument that they were bounty hunters. But that's not the case. Of course, we'll never know whether they'd seek such a transfer if Rhode were an intermediate team. The question is, do they want to play for Rhode because they feel affiliated with the club or because there's a better chance of winning something?

What about the others?

It's easy to draw parallels with other young men over the past few years. Other great players have emerged in this same underage structure, but were not from the Rhode catchment area. James Foy, David Egan, Sean Egan, Ken Casey, etc... the list goes on. All could have played for Rhode and picked-up Dowling Cup medals - All returned to play for their clubs, mostly at Sub-Senior level. Perhaps all had their own personal reasons for doing so? Maybe pressure or family members entwined in local GAA (more pressure) or just local pride. Who knows?

Only the following is certain:

- The ruling associated with underage amalgamations is clear

- Individuals cannot (without real substance) decide to choose who to play for - the ramifications are too great. It could be argued that the duality situation provides real substance, but I don't think it's something that can be used. If it could, it would signal the end of such agreements and young boys and girls would be prevented from playing any underage sports with a club. Since that cannot happen, underage amalgamations must continue. Refer to point above.

Overall, it's hard to ignore the fact that there could be a real human factor here. That's unfortunate.

[Lone Shark]

Now am I mistaken, or have the lads only had an address in Rhode for a year or so?

Yes, They moved to Rhode last year.

Okay, so how then can the process have started three years ago? I know you say that the lads approached Rhode and that's all well and good, but if the lads approached Rhode when they were Clonmore players living in Clonmore, then surely the answer should have been sorry, no can do?

[RhodeRunner]

How about you pm me your phone number lone shark and i'll give ya a buzz. Let me explain a few things which might make sense to your questions

[offalyman08]

How about you pm me your phone number lone shark and i'll give ya a buzz.

Cheesiest pick up line ever!!

[Plain of the Herbs]

Yes, there is a Parish Rule in force in Offaly, and has been for a hundred years now.

The rule is generally adhered to though there are instances where certain clubs circumvent the residency rules to suit themselves. Banagher parish stretched as far as Portumna for a while in the mid 90s

.. is there a parish rule in force or is it there and not implemented? we ahave this this 6km type of rule here in carlow but it easy get around it to..

[brian fantana]

HARPS MAN- you didnt respond to my earlier post, when i said Rhode didnt stand in the way of two rhode lads when they looked for a transfer to rhode last year?????? so why are clonmore being so stubborn and arrogant and selfish

[Harps Man]

brian fantana open your eyes and read all posts here instead of trying to rise me u fool,check my post on the second page. :

[old yellar]

I think the rynaghs had the 3 provinces in their parish alright! I rem a few strays!

[Sniper]

I’ll try and explain the facts of the case re McPaddens. The actual facts and not what I heard from a guy close to someone who knows.
The McPadden family are originally from Leitrim. They bought a farm on the Offaly/Meath border. Some of their farm is in Rhode parish some in Ballinabrckey. The house is Ballinabrackey.They raised twin sons and a daughter in their farmhouse. The children went to school in Castlejordan NS as they resided in Ballinabrackey parish. When the lads were old enough they went to ballinabrackey for u10 football. Officials in Ballinabrackey correctly told them that they were on the Offaly side and therefore had to go to Rhode. They did. They approached Martin Heavey and were welcomed to his under 10 training. They were lucky to have come along at a time when a lot of very talented footballers were at the same age culminating in back to back AllIrelands at u10. They really enjoyed the atmosphere amoung this group and went on to win championships at all levels. As they got older they turned their sights to playing senior football with Rhode. Officials in Rhode explained to them that as they were in ballinabrackey parish they would be Clonmore players. They were disappointed but insisted that they would like to play with Rhode as they had no ties in Clonmore. Rhode told them that this wasn’t possible unless they transferred. When they turned 16 Clonmore approached them to play with Clonmore. They turned them down.They turned them down on numerous occasions. Again they expressed their desire to play with Rhode. They were told that a transfer wouldn’t be granted as they still lived in BalBy parish. They completed the Leaving cert last year and then moved out of the homeplace to an apartment in Rhode. They applied for a transfer last Christmas. Rhode agreed as they were now living in Rhode. Clonmore contested. And here we are.
Lone Shark, Id say what Rhoderunner means is that ever since the boys turned 16 and wouldn’t tog out for Clonmore that this transfer has been in the offing. You probably have hit the nail on the head as to how the lads will get to play with Rhode via Dublin. Its a pity it has come to this.
Harpsman has explained how it came to a vote at the Co. Board meeting and I thankyou for that but the rest of what you say is pure bulls’’t aimed at sullying the good name of Rhode Gaa. I am a proud Rhodeman and proud of how my club conducts itself both on and off the field of play. Your comments as to how Clonmore youngsters are treated there are completely untrue as is this CONTEMPT that Rhode Gaa holds for Clonmore.. You also refer to Rhode trying to steal Clonmores best players. I had a conversation with both Jimmy and Jack Foy in a pub in Rhode a few years ago over a few drinks. They both told me how they were very tempted to transfer to Rhode. Things were not going great in Clonmore at the time. I knew it would never come to pass especially in Sean Foys case. They obviously were talked sense to and stayed put, approaching Clonmore with a new vigour. This new vigour allied with some new transferees has helped get Clonmore from that dark place to the lofty heights ye now are at.
A lot of posters on this topic are siding with Clonmore based on picture Harpsman paints of the big bad bullying Rhode picking on little ol defenceless Clonmore. Many speak of Rhode stealing or poaching your best players. Nothing could be further from the truth. And Clonmore have benifitted more than others from transfers over the last few years. Some of these transfers I would wager are not completely squeaky clean. By the way Jason Bannon tranfered to Rhode in 2001 from Fr Manning Gaels in Longford, he played for about 5 months then stopped and eventually transferred to Clonmore if Im not mistaken.
Anyway, I would appeal to people to not jump to condemn the two boys for glory hunting or turning their back on their home club. Magpie is very close to the pulse of the situation. They are not wrong in doing their level best to play for the club that they love over a club that they have no ties with except for being born a few hundred yards inside their boundary. Rhode are not wrong in facilitating them as long as they are above board. Clonmore are not wrong in defending their boundary and not letting them leave without a fight. Ive heard of two wrongs not making a right but this situation leaves everyone a loser. Especially the McPaddens themselves.
Where to now?
Its obvious that the boys will not play with Clonmore. They will however want to tog out with st Micheals u21 and Offaly u21. I await with interest what Clonmores response will be. Will they let two players who don’t want to play with them just get on with their other interrests. Or will they try and force them to play with Clonmore or else face an outright ban.

[Harps Man]

sniper you seem to know alot of the facts regarding the mcpaddens but i cant agree with everthing you say,firstly i didnt come into this topic untill it was 3 or 4 days old and i didnt come on to it to sully rhodes name.
while you are right about clonmore approching the lads to play,yes it was done as we were well entitled to do,after all we had another young lad playing with rhode og at the same time on the same team who was playing with us,so why not the mcpaddens,early last summer we had to go to the co board because the lads were playing county football but were not members of clonmore therfore could have been classed as playing illeagly,they became members of clonmore and their father askd us not to put pressure on the lads to play wit us as they wanted to concentrate on the minors and we respected that.
sniper you say the lads moved into an appartment in rhode last year,but at the meeting about the transfer they said they only stay in it 2 nights a week.
you may have had a chat wit jack and jimmy foy in a pub a few years ago but you shouldnt pass much remarks on what is said in pubs,i heard it first hand from jimmy and jack only a few weeks ago that someone from rhode approched them to transfer at that time and they didnt say that wit a few pints in them!
that a fairly serious allegation you make ther sniper about transfers to clonmore,are you going on hearsay on this because any transfers that were done were done through the proper channels without any opposition from the clubs which the lads were transfering from.
as for rhode treating the people of clonmore with contempt,well the simple answer to that is,that's the way alot of people in clonmore feel,they mighten say it out loud but i have heard it said numerous times.
i dont think clonmore will have any responce to this issue,if the lads want to come and play they will be welcomed and if they dont,well thats their decision,clonmore were hardly goin to fight this decision,get it over turned and then say ah shur go on up to rhode there lads we were only tryn to prove a point.
anything i have posted here has not been hearsay or comeing from some1 who heard it from some1 else,its up to you to choose if you believe me or not and i respect whether you do or not,but as i said i didnt come on here to sully anyones name only to give my own personal view.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Coming at this with no agenda and with no knowledge of the lie of the land in that area, I would ask just how bona fide is this apartment in Rhode? Because, heel of hunt, that is the whole crux of the issue.

What defines residency? Crashing in a place a few nights a week on an ad hoc basis, or because it's convenient, or because a lad can't get a taxi home after closing time hardly does. Remember when Birr tried to sign Ger Oakley a decade ago? That fell down because someone passed by the Oakley homestead in Carrig one frosty morning and Ger’s car was frozen over – ergo he lived there.

Also, in my view it wouldn’t be correct to say the lads have ‘no ties’ to an area – simply because they happen to live there. So the situation with the apartment decides all.

[Lone Shark]

So the lads played with Ród Óg all the way up along the line, and thus feel no ties to Clonmore Harps.

That's as may be, but bearing in mind that the Clonmore's catchment area is too small to field underage teams by themselves, how in God's name is any young footballer ever going to feel attached to them?

The point here is that there is nothing unique about the two lads that couldn't be applied to every single Clonmore Harps player. They grew up and seemingly still live in Ballinabrackey parish, and their only connection to Rhode club (i.e. Rhode adult football, not Ród Óg or St Michaels) is that they live there now, but only after and possibly because they decided they want a transfer.

From what I can see here, it's hugely regrettable that the two lads won't be playing adult football in Offaly this year and it sounds like they will be a genuine loss, but I don't see how Clonmore Harps could do anything but fight this tooth and nail. They simply have no option because they would lose the vast majority of underage players this way once it became apparent that all you had to do was rent an apartment.


By the way, branching this out into speculation about what the general feeling in Rhode is about Clonmore, or what Clonmore people feel about Rhode, strikes me as somewhat tiresome and irrelevant. In my simple opinion anyway.

[bazza]

Will they be eligible to play for St. Michaels tomorrow or does anyone the situation there?