Byrne v Duignan

A forum to air your views on Offaly GAA matters and beyond.

Next County Board Chairman?

Tommy Byrne
22
54%
Michael Duignan
19
46%
 
Total votes: 41

LooseCannon
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Re: Byrne v Duignan

Post by LooseCannon »

Hasselhoff wrote: Wed Oct 30, 2019 11:03 pm Why do you think clubs should continue to back the present chair?
Is duignan not a credible alternative or good enough candidate.
We need change in Offaly.. If we back the present chair will we have any change or improvements?

Lads spend a lifetime giving out about the county board but when an alternative emerges they don't want to do anything about it.
A coup is not credible. The inconvenient truth for some. It’ll show yet.
Good Luck

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Re: Byrne v Duignan

Post by private joker »

Under Tommy Byrne reign a lot of good has been done to try and stop all the bad that's been done.
Both football and hurling mgts are good. The hurling mgt team is very strong.
Faithful fields is a brillant facility. There's a very strong coaching and games section. Development squads are well prepared and edenderry have a full time GPO. Another club would have one also if they had said yes to the idea.
Duignan ideas of having full time GPO in the secondary schools would require a lot of funding and is at too late a stage to be of real benefit. Needs to be in at primary level and club underage. If Duignan did get the nod, hard to see him do more than 2 maybe 3 years max. It's a lot of work. Not very sociable hours either. I'm assuming all those going for the role have an agenda that clubs have access to. See what their vision is for Offaly GAA.

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Re: Byrne v Duignan

Post by greenairfield »

Please do not link Byrne as the main figure behind Faithful Fields if the fundraising was not done which Duignan was a key part of it would of never happened it was a sub committee that can take the praise for that.

A coup??? No matter what you try do to have change it's always called a coup when you removed people from a committee :evil:

This group didnt have to meet with tonmy they also didnt have to go to the media and explain they had met but they did why....?
because they didnt want it to be called a coup but yet people will still call it a coup as they want what they they did to be portrayed as something negative.


We have talked about moving Tommy and some of the statues who were involved in Offaly gaa for years...the general feeling of most of the posters on here was " contest it at convention" now we have a good working group willing to get involved and your saying "hold up no"
Its laughable really when you sit back and look at it.

It's not just the county board that is rotten some of you in here are too!

If Duignan does not get in shame on Offaly Gaa and shame on your guys for backing it with your hidden agendas which are very clear to see.

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Re: Byrne v Duignan

Post by SearingDrive »

greenairfield wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2019 10:53 am Please do not link Byrne as the main figure behind Faithful Fields if the fundraising was not done which Duignan was a key part of it would of never happened it was a sub committee that can take the praise for that.

A coup??? No matter what you try do to have change it's always called a coup when you removed people from a committee :evil:

This group didnt have to meet with tonmy they also didnt have to go to the media and explain they had met but they did why....?
because they didnt want it to be called a coup but yet people will still call it a coup as they want what they they did to be portrayed as something negative.


We have talked about moving Tommy and some of the statues who were involved in Offaly gaa for years...the general feeling of most of the posters on here was " contest it at convention" now we have a good working group willing to get involved and your saying "hold up no"
Its laughable really when you sit back and look at it.

It's not just the county board that is rotten some of you in here are
If Duignan does not get in shame on Offaly Gaa and shame on your guys for backing it with your hidden agendas which are very clear to see.
You made an outrageous statement about fellow posters. We are just expressing our opinions.

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Re: Byrne v Duignan

Post by SearingDrive »

Hasselhoff wrote: Wed Oct 30, 2019 8:03 pm It goes to a proportional representation vote, with the lowest candidate being eliminated and their votes being transferred to the voters second preference.

On another note, I'm just wondering why so many posters here are voting for one candidate and not the other?
Thanks for the clarification. I was curious how the entry of a third candidate would affect the present candidates.

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Re: Byrne v Duignan

Post by Hasselhoff »

I think most of the work in developing the faithful fields was down to Padraig Boland in all fairness. Duignan was involved a good bit in the fundraising for it.

I think we really need the coaches in the secondary schools as there is a massive fall off in playing numbers and interest in school teams. I think Duignan will be able to fundraise for this and get them in place.

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Re: Byrne v Duignan

Post by Lone Shark »

At this stage of proceedings, my understanding is that Michael Duignan is canvassing clubs privately. That's a perfectly reasonable course of action, entirely in keeping with the democratic process.

The problem for those of us on here who don't happen to be club chairmen or secretaries (or at least not in an Offaly club! :D ) is that until he speaks to the wider Offaly public - and my understanding is that he will do this at a later stage through the media - nobody on here has much of an idea what Michael Duignan will bring to the table. Personality traits are all very well, and I think it's fair to say everyone respects what he did on the field, what he did as a coach with Ballinamere and the work he put into the Faithful Fields project, but now as he goes for a CEO-style role, what does he believe in? What policies is he likely to want to implement? We've had a dismal decade of underage hurling results in particular, and that's now feeding through to the county senior team, but given what happened this year at Tony Forristal and U-20, is now the time for another big overhaul? Does he buy into the hurling pathway plan as advocated by Liam Hogan, and what will he change to bring that about? That's only the start of it.

These are all legitimate questions and until Duignan answers them, of course people will have reservations.

I am one of those people who wanted a contest at convention, and I'm delighted that after a somewhat strange genesis, the members of this group are putting themselves forward to the clubs of the county as candidates. Of course I'm happy to see that - but that doesn't mean that I automatically side with change, when I don't yet know what change they will actually bring about.

Anyone on here who is fervently on the side of one candidate or the other without knowing what they represent, is doing themselves and Offaly GAA a dis-service.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

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Re: Byrne v Duignan

Post by greenairfield »

Kevin what success did we have at U20 level this year ?
Please enlighten me!

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Lone Shark
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Re: Byrne v Duignan

Post by Lone Shark »

Beating a tier one county (Dublin) away from home in a knockout championship game. Measured by the standards of the 1990's, it would be a poor year. Measured by the standards of the 2010's, it's possibly the best single result we had at that grade (including U-21, obviously). It's not exactly enough to make me believe that everything's grand again, but it also can't be ignored either.

Let's flip this argument for a minute, if you don't mind - it's fairly clear that you have your mind made up, and regardless of what Duignan's pitch is, you'll be in his corner. That's your right, as (I presume) a paid up adult member of Birr GAA club.

However can I ask this - for what reason do you think he'll do a good job? And by that I mean, why do you feel he is the right person, so please don't answer by referring to Tommy Byrne in any way. You don't like Tommy - we get it. But if the best Duignan has to offer (and I'm not saying it is, but it seems to be the main reason you're behind him) is that he's "anyone but Tommy" then I can guarantee you he's going to be well beaten. He has to have something positive to offer, and that doesn't mean "a fresh face, new ideas" or any of that empty jargon which is another way of saying change for the sake of change.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

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Re: Byrne v Duignan

Post by Anfearban »

Surely there is a role for both? Could Michael take a vice chair role for the present with a view to learning the ropes, getting his ideas on the agenda / implemented and take on the chairman's role in the future. Strikes me that there is a lot of learning in the chairman's role and the best outcome could be a combination of both men as they both obviously have much to contribute?

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Re: Byrne v Duignan

Post by greenairfield »

Okay so I wont give you all the negatives on why Tommy is not the man to take us forward I think anyone with any brains would realise he is not.

The reason I want Duignan in charge is he has good people around him is he the "ideal chairman" maybe not but I give him huge credit to take the bull by the horns with some great people around him who want to go and make a difference.

Let's be fair here we are not in good place what harm could it do ? I have heard great reviews about Cummins and Dolan also we are only removing lads who have been in the positions for 20 years.

So we have a working group backed by important figures in Offaly GAA who want to go forward.

Over the last few years when I said on this forum "get rid of the county board" you always said Kevin that would not be a good idea considering we have nobody to go up against them.

Now we have a group of people ready to go forward and you are still swaying towards the CB by the looks of it can you tell my why this is ?

We beat Dublin U20s in one game that is not progress in any way or form and it should not be brought into this what so ever...I am pretty certain only a couple of them will go on to hurl senior for Offaly if I am been honest.
I just wanted to point that out because Offaly hurling is not in a good place.

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Re: Byrne v Duignan

Post by Hasselhoff »

Maybe a good local journalist should interview both parties and do an article on them in the paper.

I think there is a lot of interest in this particular election.

I think Tommy is too conservative and we need new blood.

Duignan has already approached clubs with his plans and some of them I have outlined above.

Is it down to Tommy that the u20s got to the leinster semi final and under 14 hurlers down to under 14 all Ireland?

We have so much we could be doing as a county and getting our house in order.

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Lone Shark
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Re: Byrne v Duignan

Post by Lone Shark »

Nobody said Offaly hurling is in a good place. It could be argued however, that it is in a better place than it was two or three years ago. That's not an open and shut case, but the debate is there to be had - and a "burn it all down and start again" approach is probably not ideal give nthat the evidence suggests things are beginning to turn the right way.


I'm not going to engage with the likes of your opening line, or your previous comments calling people rotten. If you want to be taken seriously, then cut that out. Likewise, I could not be clearer that I'm delighted there will be a contest, and that people are putting themselves forward. I reserve judgement entirely on who I would like to see succeed until I see some actual policies and agendas from those people challenging for the roles. Somehow, in your mind, that's swaying towards the incumbents and frankly, that you think that says more about you than me.


Yes, MD has surrounded himself with some good people - but while I've the world of respect for Colm Cummins and what he's done, and I would be delighted to see him involved, the jury is very much out on someone like Dervill Dolan, who has rarely come on my radar in a GAA context before. He was a fine councillor, but he was elected spokesperson of this group, and some of his comments have underwhelmed me to say the least - and that's before we get into his "demise" comment which is gross hyperbole, by any rational measure. Likewise, Brian Gavin won't get universal support, given some of the things he has said in the past, at matches and in boardrooms. Is he a driven man with a passion for Offaly GAA? Absolutely. In a political, diplomatic environment, does he have the potential to cause problems? Absolutely as well.

There were other good people at that meeting in Tullamore, but until they put themselves up for election, they are nothing more than people who attended a meeting. And as you well know, your presence at a meeting doesn't imply your automatic acceptance of whatever was discussed at that time. So just because Stephen Darby (for example) was there, a man I also have great time for, that doesn't mean anything until he speaks publicly for himself, or puts his hand up for a position.

Plus, let's not forget that just because there are a few people on the current management committee that are underwhelming, there are others I'd hate to lose - so MD doesn't have a monopoly on "good people". You'll also find that your idea of removing people who've been there 20 years is nonsense. There are 15 people on the current management committee, none of them have been there 20 years. Only four of them have been there more than ten, and one of those four is Paddy Scales, who was cultural officer from 2005 to 2009 but then stepped away for a while.


I've read your post over and over, and I still can't find anything concrete about MD himself. You praise the people around him (a matter for debate, as above, but fair enough), you say he wants to "take the bull by the horns" which is a meaningless cliché, and you say "what harm could it do" - and if ever there was a lukewarm vote of confidence, that's it. I gave you a chance to try and pitch for the man, and you still turned it into an exercise in bashing TB and the incumbents.

I cannot stress enough how this approach, if taken by more of MD's supporters, will absolutely scupper him.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

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Re: Byrne v Duignan

Post by Lone Shark »

Hasselhoff wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2019 5:26 pm Maybe a good local journalist should interview both parties and do an article on them in the paper.

I think there is a lot of interest in this particular election.

I think Tommy is too conservative and we need new blood.

Duignan has already approached clubs with his plans and some of them I have outlined above.

Is it down to Tommy that the u20s got to the leinster semi final and under 14 hurlers down to under 14 all Ireland?

We have so much we could be doing as a county and getting our house in order.
Hoping to do exactly that. My understanding is that both candidates are willing, but they want to wait until nominations are closed, which is fair. Last time we had an election, Tommy was the only one willing to talk.


And nobody is saying that Tommy was out there at midfield for the Forristal or in Parnell Park, or anything like it - but if you're going to slate him for bad results, then you have to mitigate that with good ones. He's either responsible, or not, people can't pick and choose.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

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Re: Byrne v Duignan

Post by greenairfield »

Lone shark I did not lambast him once in that post I have to give it to you your a great man to put words in other peoples mouth.

Duignan is a phenomenal fundraiser, someone who is phenomenal fundraiser is a hard worker,organised, good with people and usually works of a structure...all traits which would be so valuable to a good county board chairman.

For that reason along with the progress in the B/D club hurling scene because of him and couple of others hes a stand out candidate for me.

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