Clon’s Noel O’Callaghan excited by new challenge of Cork vice-chairperson role

BY JOHNNY CAROLAN

INCOMING Cork County Board vice-chairperson Noel O’Callaghan will be just the second person representing a Carbery club to hold that position.

Earlier this week, the Clonakilty clubman was confirmed as the new vice-chair, with the previous incumbent, Midleton’s Pat Horgan, stepping up to become the chairperson following the completion of Marc Sheehan’s three years in charge.

While the late Jim Forbes – vice-chairperson from 2000-02 and chairperson from 2003-05 – was a native of Drimoleague, he had moved to Crosshaven and represented the club there. Kevin O’Donovan from Kilmeen/Kilbree was elected vice-chair at the end of 2017 but a year later he was appointed as secretary/CEO of the board, a post he still holds.

O’Callaghan has built up a decade’s worth of experience on the county executive, building on a lifetime given to Clon, having played and refereed before becoming an administrator.

The club registrar when they celebrated their centenary in 1987, he went on to hold a number of positions in the brewery town, including being chairperson during the period when they developed their new grounds at Ahamilla.

‘The only job I didn’t do in Clon was secretary,’ he says, ‘I had every other officership over a period of 25 or 30 years and I was chairman from 2002 until 2011.

‘I didn’t come on to the county board until 2012, so I was a latecomer that way.

‘I won’t say I’m qualified enough as you’re learning every day, but I’m looking forward to it.

‘I enjoy what I do – if you didn’t enjoy it, you wouldn’t do it.

‘There’s a lot of time involved in running these clubs and it’s not for the glory you do it. There have been very enjoyable moments – I was chairman in 2009, when we won the county and that’s the pinnacle of the whole thing.’

Having been elected as Clon’s delegate to the county board in 2012, he soon became involved on the executive.

‘I became a senior football representative in 2013 and I’ve been on the executive since,’ he says.

‘I did three years as the football representative and then three years as children’s officer and another three as development officer and safety & facilities officer.’

Putting his name forward for the higher officerships was something he wasn’t afraid of.

‘I went for vice-chair five years ago and Marc Sheehan beat me,’ he says.

‘I didn’t go the last time – Pat went instead and I didn’t want to go against him but it was always my intention to go this time.’

With a good understanding built up between himself and the new chair Horgan, O’Callaghan is looking forward to the role, which includes chairing the county competitions control committee (CCC).

‘I think the most important thing is to be fair to people and to allow everyone to give their views,’ he says.

‘Every fella is entitled to their opinion – Noel O’Callaghan’s opinion isn’t always right or Pat Horgan’s isn’t, so it’s important that you listen to people. They won’t always agree with you but the important thing is that they know you’re doing something for the right reasons.’

And, hopefully, his journey might inspire more from the south-west division to put themselves forward.

Carbery is the biggest division, with 26 clubs,’ O’Callaghan says, ‘but it’s amazing that there has never been a chair and that I’m only the second vice-chair.

‘Jim Forbes was obviously from Carbery but he represented Crosshaven and then there was Kevin and now me. Imokilly, for example, has had its fair share of chairpersons – Christy Cooney, Jerry O’Sullivan, Ger Lane, Tracey Kennedy and now Pat – and you’d like to think that the people are there in Carbery too.’