Barry exit confirmed amidst war of words

Former Meath senior football manager and out-going Co Committee coaching officer Eamonn Barry was finally sidelined at Monday night's adjourned GAA convention at Áras Táilteann in Navan. Barry's re-election bid for the position of coaching officer was derailed at the December convention when he was told only seconds before the vote that he was ineligible as he was not a member of the GAA. That caused a heated exchange between Barry and chairman Barney Allen who had been returned by a substantial majority to serve a fifth and final term. At that stage the convention was adjourned. Delegates at a packed Áras Táilteann on Monday night were reminded by the chairman that Barry was ineligible for election due to his failure to pay his membership for 2011 before 31st March last year. "You will remember from the last meeting (the annual convention) that the rule on this matter has to be applied," stated the chairman. "We discussed this matter at our management meeting a couple of weeks ago and it was agreed then that Eamonn Barry is not entitled to stand for election as coaching officier. "Eamonn registered his membership during the convention on Saturday 10th December and you cannot do something like that. "I have no option other than to apply the rule, you were not a member and are not entitled to contest the position of coaching officer, if Eamonn Barry wants to go further with this then that's up to him," added the chairman. "Eamonn Barry has been a member of Walterstown for more than 35 years, why is this happening here tonight, why wasn't everyone asked for membership on the way in, was the convention last December legal?" queried Walterstown's John Daly. Another delegate queried the validity of the vote for Irish Officier that finished in a tie, 70-70, and asked if Barry had voted in that particular election? "Eamonn Barry was eligible to vote at the convention because he was a member of the outgoing management committee," stated the chairman. The former Meath manager outlined his position to delegates and stated that Walterstown would confirm that they had made an error when they failed to register him before the deadline last year. "Other people have been in positions on the executive and been members of sub-committees who have not been fully paid up members of the GAA," said Barry. "You were aware of this problem in the week before the convention and you waited until just before the vote to make it known, it was devious what you did, it was deplorable," he added. Former Co Committee vice-chairman Eugene Comaskey echoed those sentiments. "Would it have been the decent thing to tell Eamonn Barry that he wasn't registered when you found out about it?" queried Comaskey. "This is one of the most petty things I have seen, it's a disgrace the way it was handled," he added. Simonstown Gaels delegate Gerry Fitzpatrick broadened out the discussion. "Is it okay for a club delegate who is not a club member to vote at convention?" asked Fitzpatrick while Kiltale's Ann Gilsenan suggested that this type of approach would turn people away from the GAA. "This will come back to bite us," she stated. Boardsmill delegate TJ Reilly told the chairman that he had handled the matter badly. "These registration numbers are treating members like cattle at a mart," he said. Finally, the way was clear for the election and as there was only one candidate, PJ Cudden (Castletown), he was elected unopposed. "I have no gripe with PJ Cudden and I wish him the best of luck," stated Barry. "I was nominated in good faith and I'm prepared to take on the role, it's unfortunate it was in these circumstances," stated the Castletown clubman.