Annette Conway

Ballinrobe GAA Club members are now considering two proposals the development of their club facilities at Flanagan Park, following a club meeting. “We urge all members to consider these proposals carefully before an upcoming Club meeting where we will take a vote on them,” said John Sweeney, Chairperson. The proposals are as follows: Proposal 1: Develop a clubhouse that will feature extra dressing room facilities, a meeting room, a new press/commentary box, a kitchen, and new toilet areas. Additionally, the newly acquired ground will be developed into an all-weather pitch. Proposal 2: Develop a clubhouse with the same features as outlined above and the newly acquired ground as a standard grass pitch. “At our last Club meeting we took a decision to seek planning permission for Proposal 1 above, as the application is not a costly process, and it will be of value to us regardless of which proposal we select. In addition to these proposals, it was agreed to meet with the Principal of Ballinrobe Community School to discuss the club’s support for pitch maintenance and repair work at the Ballinrobe Community School pitch, which we frequently use, and this meeting took place this week. Furthermore, we strongly believe that the development of a gym at Flanagan Park will benefit the club and its members,” added the spokesperson. The club acknowledge that no matter what decisions are taken, a major fundraising and promotional effort will be required. “However, we believe that this effort is necessary for the future of the club, given the large number of players and teams we currently have. Playing space is a problem – but a good problem, we acknowledge. We will seek to access public funding as we proceed in whichever direction we take,” said the spokesperson. “All of these items will be discussed at our next Club meeting, and we encourage all members to attend and participate actively in the decision-making process. Together, we can ensure that the future of our club is bright.”

Ballinrobe GAA will use the new GAA online management system Foireann for all renewals and new registrations for the upcoming season. It is the first time that the GAA has brought all its associations under one umbrella, namely GAA, LGFA, Camogie and Handball associations. The vast majority of Ballinrobe Players and members will already have a username and password for Foireann. This is the Return to Play link used during the 2020 season to submit your Health Questionnaires. Foireann can be used by members to process Return to Play health declarations, membership payments and sharing of information relating to teams within a club. For Members who do not have an account with Foireann or new members we have information on how to set up your account, create a profile and complete registration.  New user of Foireann: If you a Club Member who is not involved in playing or are registering yourself or your child for the first time you will need to set up a Foireann account. Click on video below which outlines the steps involved in setting up an account. Then go to https://returntoplay.gaa.ie/   Once you have registered a Foireann account you are now in a position to create a profile. select your membership and complete the registration process. We understand that you may be the parent of a member, and not registering yourself.  That is fine, just follow the steps that work for your household. The first step is to register all those who want to be members. Adding Child: As the account holder, you are covered through the Profile Section. You then need to add your son/daughter and create their Profile to register. See Step 2 below to assist you with adding a child. Once you have everyone’s details submitted, please move to the Membership tab which will guide you to which membership package suits your household.  See Step 3 below. If you are registering your daughter, please select the LGFA option in the membership option for Youth Player for girls born from 2004 to 2012.    Existing Users of Foireann (Return to Play)  Foireann can be accessed through www.foireann.ie and entering your username and password. Many of you will have used this system in 2020 for Return to Play – Health Questionnaire. If you need you can reset your password to gain access using the forgot password process. On entry to the site, you will be presented with a Dashboard and will see a list of options on the left-hand side of the screen. Updating Your Profile In order to make the most of the Foireann, you will need to update your profile using the tabs on the left-hand side of the screen. The system is user-friendly and the more information you include from the outset, the more adaptive it will be going forward. Step 1: Update your Profile  You should complete the basic details on your personal profile as requested, much of it will already be in place from your Return to Play data from last season. Medical Information Remember to include all relevant medical information, which may be needed in case of emergency. This information will only be visible to members of the Executive Committee who use it as part of their specific roles, e.g., Secretary or Children’s Officer Club(s) The most important part of this section is to align your profile with Ballinrobe, which can be done by using the drop-down menus. Communications Finally, tick all relevant boxes relating to communications you wish to receive from the club during the year. Note that if you do not give permission for Club Communications, you accept that you will not receive information relating to the AGM by email.     Step 2: Create your Family (if needed) Completing this section correctly is vital if you wish to take out a family membership with the club. You will need to add additional Parents / Guardians and Children – updating their profiles as you did your own. See Step 1. When adding additional Parents / Guardians, they will be notified and requested to confirm and update their profile and accept the invite.  Please wait until the additional Parent/Guardian has accepted the invite so all Family members are linked, and then complete your registration for Family membership. You many need to log in at a later stage to complete. When you move forward to complete your family membership, it can only be done by pre-populating information you have already provided to the system. It is your responsibility to ensure that each member of your family has a Foireann account and that you have linked your family together.   If you have any further queries on creating a Family please click on this link https://gmssupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/categories/360002833679-Families   Step 3: Membership Once all the above has been completed you are now in a position to set up your membership for the 2021 season. For our Ladies Club, please select the LGFA option in the membership for girls born from 2004 to 2012 and likewise any LGFA Coach needs to also select LGFA. All female non-players in a family should tick GAA (not LFGA) when editing their profile You will see the following Membership options on the screen. Please select the membership option which best suits and make the relevant payment. Membership Types: Type Cost Notes Adult Player €100 This is a Full Membership that entitles the person to play and to vote at the AGM Student Player €60 This is a Full Membership and entitles the person to play and to vote at the AGM. You will be asked for proof of your student/apprentice status Non-Playing Adult €50 This is a Full Membership and entitles the person to vote at the AGM. Adult Club Ballinrobe €150 Available to Players & Non players. This is a Full Membership. Club Ballinrobe includes: * 1 x €100 Ticket for Mayo GAA Development Draw * Entry into Weekly Club Lotto Draw * Voting rights at the AGM Youth Player (1st Child) €60 Player under the age of 18 on 1/1/21 This membership

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Ballinrobe GAA Club will be held on Sunday 6th December 2020 at 6pm. The decision on format of meeting will be made after 1st December based on Government and HSE advise to see if we can facilitate a proper face to face AGM or alternatively the AGM will be conducted virtually via Zoom or MS Teams.   Motions  Please note that Motions for discussion at the AGM should be returned to the Club Secretary not later than Sunday 15th November 2020. Croke Park has requested that for this year “any motions that can wait to make them wait, and remain conservative, as 2020 is not the year to consider contentious motions”  Nominations Form  Download the Nominations form from here: Ballinrobe AGM 2020 Nomination form, You will note from the Nomination Form the names of the outgoing Officers and Members of the Club Executive. This detail is for information purposes only.   Any full member wishing to be nominated for the Club Executive must have nominations from at least two (2) full members of the Club.  Nomination Form should be returned to the Club Secretary at secretary.ballinrobe.mayo@gaa.ie  not later than 5pm on Sunday 15th November 2020.  Financial Statements  Financial Statements, will as usual, be presented at the AGM for discussion. Any member who wishes to view the financial statements prior to the AGM, should contact the Club Secretary.  The members of the Executive look forward to your attendance. Kind regards Annette Conway Rúnaí