There is no strength without working together. Ní neart go cur le chéile.

There is no strength without working together. Ní neart go cur le chéile. The Harps GAA Club Plan 2015-2019

Table of Contents: Chairperson s Address... 3 Club Background...4 The Harps A brief History...7 Roll of Honour.....8 Methodology...10 Mission, Vision and Values....11 The Five Year Plan.. 13 Area 1: Club Structures and Administration..14 Area 2: Finance and Fundraising..16 Area 3: Facilities and Development...19 Area 4: Coaching and Games Development...20 Area 5: Communication PR and Culture...22 Implementation, Review Mechanisms for the Plan & Acknowledgements..23 Glossary of Terms.. 24

Focal ón gcathoirleach: Mol an Óige agus tiocfaidh sé this seanfhocail could well serve as the motto for our five year Club Development Plan. With over 300 children enrolled in our two primary schools, it is incumbent on us who run the club to put strategies and infrastructure in place to ensure we attract these children into The Harps. Once we have them involved we must provide a comfortable and safe environment in which their skills and talents are nurtured so that in years to come, as young adults, they will be well prepared to bring the success to the club to which we have long aspired. The objectives outlined in our plan also include the development of our existing players, both underage and adult. By implementing the five strands of the plan we will have the aforementioned strategies and infrastructure in place. As I write this we already have facilities such as the enclosed juvenile pitch, the gym and public toilets in place and the ball wall will soon be complete. The on-going development of our facilities will add to the enjoyment of our players and supporters. We are an ambitious club and with support we will be a successful club both on and off the field. I am delighted to commend this plan to you. Le gach dea-ghuí, Seamus Campion Séamus Campion CATHAOIRLEACH Dated: July 21 st 2015.

Background to the Club: In the early 1970s there were talks of Cullohill and Durrow GAA Clubs coming together to make one Club to strengthen their position, but nothing materialised. However, after the respective AGM s of both Clubs in 1983, Officials and Players got together in an effort to form a parish team. The background to this was that from U12 to U21 there was a parish team which played under the name of St Fintans and were enjoying some success. However, after U21 level the paths divided back to Durrow and Cullohill Clubs respectively. It was agreed between members and players that the best way forward was together and so the Harps GAA Club came into existence in 1984. At present, in hurling the Harps field teams at U8, U10, U12, U14, U16, Minor, Junior A, Intermediate and Senior levels. Championships have been won in all grades with the exception of Senior. This title has eluded them to date having contested three finals in 1984, 1997, 1998, being beaten by Portlaoise, Castletown and Portlaoise respectively. In football the Harps have also enjoyed success winning the Junior A Championship in 1989 and 2000, Junior B in 2012 and winning the Intermediate Championship in 1994. Harps Club Officers 1984: Harps Club Officers 2015: Chairman Billy McEvoy Vice Chairman Liam Foley Secretary Philip Monnelly Assistant Secretary Donal Deegan Treasurer John Dollard Ass. Treasurer Martin Keenan RIP Juvenile Chair Seamus Kenna RIP Secretary Dan Deegan Chairman Seamus Campion Vice Chairman Gabby Irwin Secretary Daniel Dunne Assistant Secretary Enda Murphy Treasurer Imelda Galvin Assistant Treasurer Barry Murphy PRO John Dunne Player Welfare Maura Galvin County Board Rep Tommy Walsh Substance Abuse Tommy Kenna Juvenile Chairman Noel Kirby Secretary Enda Murphy Children s Officer Enda Whelan Camogie also is an important element of the Harps Club. In 1994, Vera Fogarty and Tommy Walsh could see that there were a number of talented girls in the parish and surrounding areas and subsequently the Harps Camogie Club was founded. The first AGM was held on February 27 th 1995 with the following officers elected continued >>>

<<< continued Harps Camogie Club Officers 1995: Harps Camogie Club Officers 2015: President Vera Fogarty Vice President Tommy Walsh Chair Marie Phelan (Tubberboe) V/Chairperson Anne Mahony Secretary Bernie Brennan Assistant Secretary Richie Grogan Treasurer Helen Muldowney A/Treasurer Alice Bolger PRO Carmel Brennan President Vera Fogarty Vice President Tommy Walsh Chairperson Tom Dunne V/Chairperson Breda Prior Secretary Margaret Murphy A/Secretary Anne Fitzpatrick Treasurer Bernadette Walsh PRO Joan Dollard The Camogie Club has been very successful in it s short existence, culminating in the recent All Ireland Junior Titles three-in-arow successes. In the late 1990s and early 2000s the Club won several Feile na ngael U14 titles. The fortunes of the club at Junior level began to change in 2005 when the team reached the county semi-final but unfortunately were beaten by St Brigids of Rathdowney after a number of replays. But, in 2006 the Club went a step further by winning the county final and going on to win the All Ireland Club Championship. 2007 saw the Harps retain the title and on November 16 th 2008 the Harps made it three-in-a-row in beating Kilmaley of Co. Clare. 2008 also saw the U14 girls once again reach a Feile Final, but unfortunately they were narrowly beaten after extra time. Former Clubs which amalgamated to form present Harps Club: Durrow GAA Club: Football played a prominent role in Durrow even before the GAA was founded and there are records showing that one of the first football games played in the county was in 1832 between Durrow and Rathdowney. The game, a 21-a-side was held in conjunction with another event celebrating the opening of Perry s brewery. The prize for the winners was a half barrel of ale, which the Durrow men won. Durrow was still a football stronghold in the early years of the 20 th Century and the Club won Junior Championships in 1906 and 1910. Durrow won intermediate championships in 1944 and 1959 but soon returned to the Junior ranks. Victories over Errill in the 1973 Junior and over Park-Rathineska in the 1976 Intermediate finals meant a return to the Senior ranks in 1977, where they stayed until the formation of The Harps seven years later. Photo: The Harps Camogie County Final Winners 2008...continued >>>

<<< continued Photo: Cullohill Castle Cullohill GAA Club: Cullohill was a long established club, and as far back as 1910, five of their players lined out with Laois winning the Leinster Junior Title. In the early years the Club was known for a very short time as Rapla. Championship wins came to Cullohill in the form of Minor in 1941 and Intermediate in 1946 but the club went out of existence in the late 1940s. Cullohill was re-organised in 1952 and after unsuccessfully contesting the Junior final of that year with Borris-in-Ossory they came back in 1953 to capture the title against Clonin. Intermediate honours came the following years when they beat Slieve Bloom by 3-06 to 1-04. In 1955 Cullohill achieved their long cherished ambition when they won the Senior title by beating Kyle on October 9 th with the scoreline reading 5-09 to 3-05. Cullohill had to wait until 1964 to again win the Senior title by beating Camross on a scoreline of 4-04 to 4-03. The years that followed were met with little success and they were forced down to intermediate where they remained until 1983. Cullohill also contested Senior finals in 1956, 1965 and 1968 and Junior B in 1983. Cannonswood GAA Club: Cannonswood was another Hurling Club that existed in the parish during the early 1970s. In their short history Cannonswood competed in two finals, but unfortunately lost both. On August 18 th 1974 at O Moore Park, Castletown defeated Cannonswood on a scoreline of 5-05 to 4-06. Cannonswood got back to the Junior A final of 1975 but Mountrath defeated them by 2-11 to 2-03. Photos: The Harps GAA Clubhouse (above) and Podge Delaney wins the 2015 Laois U16 Poc Fada Competition in July (right).

The Harps A brief history: title in 1915. Durrow GAA Club s history goes back to the foundation of the GAA in both hurling and football. The Cullohill area was represented by a team from Rapla in the early years of the 20th Century, who incidentally had a player called Joe Dunphy who played at full back on the Laois Hurling Team which won our only All Ireland Senior Cullohill had its own GAA Club from early 1940 s until 1984. Another GAA Club; Cannonswood - played in the Laois Junior Hurling Championship in the 1970s. The Harps GAA Club was then founded in 1984 as a result of the amalgamation of the Durrow and Cullohill clubs. The backdrop to the amalgamation of these close rivals was the success enjoyed at underage level by the parish team, St. Fintan's, which stood in sharp contrast to a dearth of silverware at senior level for either team. It was generally felt that the best way forward was to pool the talent of both clubs and build on the successes of the younger players of the parish. The wisdom of the move paid early dividends as the Harps advanced to three adult finals and an under 15 final in their first year. They won the Junior A and U15 finals while the senior team were beaten in the Championship (after a replay) and Centenary finals. This early success proved to be the start of a remarkably successful run for the club one that would be the envy of any club in the country never mind the county. In every one of the twenty-eight years, since its foundation the club has not gone a single year without winning a championship title at some grade or other. In fact, the club has won titles in both hurling and football in all grades from U12 to Senior levels with only three exceptions - Intermediate and Senior hurling and Senior football. Being in the hurling end of the county the elusive Senior hurling title is the most coveted of these three prizes. However over the coming years the club will leave no stone unturned in an effort to complete the title haul. In the current year the club is well placed to make a serious effort to capture both the hurling titles with a great blend of youth and maturity among the players all of whom are used to winning county titles. The club also caters for the ladies of the parish with a very vibrant camogie club that has won county, Leinster and All-Ireland titles.

The Harps GAA roll of honour: 1984: Junior A Hurling Champions; U15 Hurling Champions 1985: O Bradaigh Cup SH Champions; U17 Hurling Champions; U16A Hurling Champions; U16A Football Champions 1986: Minor Hurling Champions; U17 Hurling Champions; U12 Hurling Champions 1987: Minor Hurling Champions; Minor Hurling League Winners. 1988: U14 Feile Hurling Champions; U14B Football Champions. 1989: Junior A Football Champions; Junior A Football League Winners; Rathdowney SH Tournament Winners; U12 Hurling Champions; U12B Football Champions; U15 Hurling Champions. 1990: U21 Hurling Champions; U16A Hurling Champions; U16B Football Champions. 1991: O Bradaigh Cup SH Winners; Junior A Hurling Champions; Junior A Hurling League Winners; U17 Hurling Champions; U14A Hurling Champions; U14 Feile Hurling Champions. 1992: Minor Hurling Champions; Junior B Hurling Champions. 1993: U16 Hurling Champions. 1994: Intermediate Football Champions; U12A Hurling Champions. 1995: Junior A Hurling Champions; Minor B Football Champions; U12A Hurling Champions. 1996: Senior B Hurling Champions; Minor B Football Champions; U12A Hurling Champions; Division 1 SHL Winners; ACHL Division 4 Winners; U12A Hurling Champions. 1998: U21B Hurling Champions; U14 Camogie County and All-Ireland Feile Champions. 1999: U16 Camogie Champions; U14 Camogie Champions; 2000: Junior A Football Champions; U21B Football Champions; U16 Football Division 3 Winners; U16 Camogie Champions; U14 Camogie & All Ireland Feile Champions. 2001: Senior Hurling B Champions; Minor Hurling B Champions; U18 Camogie Champions; U16 Camogie Champions; U14 Camogie Champions. 2002: U16 Camogie Champions....continued >>>

<<< continued 2003: Division 5 Hurling League Champions; U21B Hurling Champions; U16B Football Champions. 2004: Minor Hurling Champions; U18 Camogie Champions. 2005: Junior A Hurling Champions; Junior C Hurling Champions; Minor B Football Champions. 2006: Junior Camogie Champions; Leinster Camogie Champions; All-Ireland Junior Camogie Champions; U21A Hurling Champions. 2007: Junior Camogie Champions; Leinster Camogie Champions; All-Ireland Camogie Champions; Minor A Hurling Champions; U14B Hurling League and Championship. 2008: Junior Camogie Champions; Leinster Camogie Champions; All-Ireland Camogie Champions; Junior B Hurling Champions; Division 5 Hurling League Champions; U14 All-Ireland Division 3 Feile Champions; U14B Football Champions; U14 Camogie Shield Champions; John Cashin Tournament Winners for the Durrow Scarecrow Festival. 2009: John Cashin Tournament Winners for the Durrow Scarecrow Festival; Intermediate Camogie Champions; Leinster Intermediate Camogie Champions. 2010: John Cashin Tournament Winners for the Durrow Scarecrow Festival; Division 3 Hurling League Champions; Intermediate Camogie Champions; Leinster Intermediate Camogie Champions. 2011: Palmer Cup Winners, Division 1 League Champions; Junior C Hurling Champions; Intermediate Camogie Champions; Leinster Intermediate Camogie Champions; Leinster U16A Hurling League. 2012: John Cashin Tournament Winners for the Durrow Scarecrow Festival; Junior B Football Champions. 2013: Minor Hurling Champions; U14B Camogie Champions; U14B Football Champions. 2014: Division 1A Hurling League Champions; Division 5 Hurling League Champions; Junior B Hurling Championship Winners. 2015: Laois Hurling Feile Winners; U14B Football League Winners; U13 All Ireland Rounders Winners; Laois Scór Tráth na gceist Boird Winners; Laois U16 Poc Fada Champion (Podge Delaney); Leinster U16 Poc Fada Champion (Podge Delaney). Photo: Laois U14 Feile Winners 2015

Methodology: The first step in the development of The Club Plan was to contact the County Development Officer, Tom Jones, who provided the club with guidance along with the Club Planning Pack. The club then set up the following working groups Bill McEvoy was appointed as facilitator. A Steering Committee was appointed and Chair appointed to each of the five Focus Groups, recruitment to the Focus Groups was discussed. Coaching & Games Development: Liam Clancy and Noel Delaney. Club Structures & Administration: Enda Murphy. Facilities & Development: Seamus Campion. Finance & Fundraising: Barry Murphy. Communications/Public Relations & Culture: Mick Fitzpatrick. Several meetings were held in advance of a well-attended club forum/workshop which was held in Cullohill Community Centre. The feedback from the 70+ attendees was collated by the five focus groups and after further meetings each focus group formulated a report. Each report included a plan of action and these five plans are at the very core of this document....continued >>>

Mission, Vision and Values: The GAA s values are the heart and soul of our Association. In every Club around the world they are what binds us, what makes us unique and what attracts more and more players, members, volunteers and supporters. Mission: The GAA is a community based volunteer organisation promoting Gaelic games, culture and lifelong participation. The GAA is a volunteer organisation. We develop and promote Gaelic games at the core of Irish identity and culture. We are dedicated to ensuring that our family of games, and the values we live, enrich the lives of our members, families and the communities we serve. We are committed to active lifelong participation for all and to providing the best facilities. We reach out to and include all members of our society. We promote individual development and well-being and strive to enable all our members achieve their full potential in their chosen roles. Vision: Our vision is that everybody has the opportunity to be welcomed to take part in our games and culture, to participate fully, to grow and develop and to be inspired to keep a lifelong engagement with our Association. Values: Community Identity Community is at the heart of our Association. Everything we do helps to enrich the communities we serve. We foster a clear sense of identity and place. Amateur Status We are a volunteer led organisation. All our members play and engage in our games as amateurs. We provide a games programme at all levels to meet the needs of all our players....continued >>>

<<< continued Inclusiveness We welcome everybody to be part of our Association. We are anti-sectarian. We are anti-racist. Respect We respect each other on and off the playing fields. We operate with integrity at all levels. We listen and respect the views of all. Player Welfare We provide the best playing experience for all our players. We structure our games to allow players of all abilities reach their potential. Teamwork Effective teamwork on and off the field is the cornerstone of our Association. Ní neart go cur le chéile (There is no strength without working together).

The 5 Year Plan: After the Club Forum was held, 5 sub-committees looked at the following areas and ultimately made the recommendations which form the core of the plan. The five areas considered were: Club Structures and Administration. Finance and Fundraising. Facilities and Development. Coaching and Games Development. Communications, Public Relations and Cultural Activities.

Club Structures and Administration: In five years time our Club will be able to say Our Club excels in its Administration. We have the structures in place appropriate to the Club s needs. Our committees are vibrant and we have increased the numbers of people working for the Club. We have addressed the gender imbalance on committees and now have a significant female presence on our committees. Key Steps to be Taken A: Club Constitution A Club constitution will be presented and adopted at our Annual General Meeting. It will be in accordance with GAA guidelines. It will be posted on our website and accessible to all. B: Sub-Committees Sub-Committees will be appointed as the need arises to deal with areas such as coaching and games development, development of pitches and facilities, fundraising, etc We will bring people with expertise in particular areas to these Sub- Committees. C: Alcohol and Substance Abuse Policy We will put in place a comprehensive policy to ensure that our Club is following best practice in this area. We will ensure that all our members, both Juvenile and Adult are fully informed of the dangers of alcohol and substance abuse. We will ensure that all awards and presentation nights for underage players are held in an alcoholfree setting. D: Implementing Focus Group Recommendations In response to the focus group report we will take the following steps: 1. Terms of Office for Cathaoirleach, Rúnaí and Cisteoir The rationale is to make these posts more attractive to members who may previously have been deterred by the prospect of being obliged to remain in the position for an indefinite period. It will also mean that incumbents will bring a freshness to the executive positions and insure that there will always be a dynamic, go-ahead culture at Committee level. Another benefit will derive from the experience gained by those officers during their term will be of huge benefit to the committee when their term has expired....continued >>>

<<< continued The roles of Leas-Cathaoirleach, Leas-Rúnaí and Leas-Cisteoir should bring with them a clearly outlined list of duties and responsibilities. There should be an expectation that people accepting these roles would be prepared and trained to take over the Senior Committee roles at the appropriate juncture. The introduction of a three-year term of office should be done on a staggered basis so there would not be a complete change of the Top Table in any given year. 2. Greater Female participation at Committee level Even since the genesis of this plan there has been an increase in the number of women actively involved in Club administration with four elected at the most recent AGM. Imelda Galvin became the Club s Treasurer at that meeting, the first female office-holder in the Club s history. The Club will strive to become more inclusive during the lifetime of this plan. The benefits of having a significant female cohort in Club administration are self-evident. 3. Contributions towards Running Costs The developments currently underway in the Club (i.e. Ball Wall, Gym, Public Toilets, etc ) obviously involve a significant cost. Structures should be put in place whereby the Juvenile and Camogie sections of the Club should contribute to the running costs of the Club which have been heretofore almost exclusively met by the Adult Committee. 4. Sub-Committees There should be a culture in the Club of establishing sub-committees in particular areas as required. At present the Club is fundraising to pay the capital costs of improving our facilities. A finance sub-committee would streamline this process and could involve people who do not wish to be on the full committee. 5. Referees While the Club has in the past provided referees there are no active referees in our ranks at the time of printing. The County Board are always trying to recruit referees and our Club will encourage members to become involved in what is a key role in any sporting organisation. Photo: Ground Works begin on development at The Harps GAA grounds in Durrow, Co. Laois during November 2014.

Photos: New Juvenile Pitch (above) and Ball Wall Base (below) Finance and Fundraising: In five years time our Club will be able to say Our Club has done a tremendous job in Finance and Fundraising in order to support the continued development of our Club. We have new and innovative fundraising ideas and we have new people helping our fundraising efforts. Key Steps to be Taken 2014 and 2015 (to the time of print) have seen major developments in the Club: Installation of a Juvenile pitch enclosed by 2m high metal fencing complete with ball stops on what was previously wasteland behind the pitch in Durrow. The fitting of an electronic scoreboard. The building of a Gym complete with changing rooms, shower and toilet facilities for both males and females. Installation of a base on which it is intended to place a ball wall which will be enclosed and floodlit. Connection to the mains water and sewage systems in Durrow. The drainage of the area between the dressing rooms and the pitch wall in Durrow which had hitherto been very prone to flooding. It is intended during the lifetime of this plan to resurface the areas at the grounds in Durrow currently under gravel, to make the area in the former quarry behind the Juvenile pitch into the Club s main car park and to carry out further works to make the banking on the road side of the pitch more amenable for spectators. Obviously all the aforementioned have, or will, cost a significant amount of money. The funding comes from two sources: Fundraising and Grant Aid. The Club were awarded a 90,000 Government grant in 2014 and have applied for an additional 30,000 grant from An Comhairle Laighean, a decision on which will be made in October 2015...continued >>>

<<< continued The Club, apart from its long-established and ongoing fundraising activities such as Parish Lotto, Race Night, County Board Draw tickets and National Draw tickets intends to raise funds purely for developmental purposes as opposed to day-to-day running costs. The major 2015 project is a Strictly Come Dancing event in November in conjunction with Durrow Development Forum. It is hoped that this event will bring in around 20,000 into our development fund. The Committee has also explored ways of ensuring a regular cash-flow from other initiatives, many of which were suggestions from the focus group which resulted from the Club Forum. These include: 1. Increasing the number of people who have standing orders to purchase weekly Parish Lotto tickets. At present, there are 31 tickets per week sold this way. Every new standing order would realise 144 per year, most of which would be retained by the club. 2. Making a concerted effort to increase gate receipts by ensuring at least two members on both entrances at home games. 3. Increasing membership fees at present adult playing membership is only 50 which all goes to pay player insurance. It is intended that membership will be raised for 2016 to a more realistic level and in line with that of neighbouring GAA Clubs. In return for the increased cost of membership the players will have the benefits of the much-improved facilities as outlined earlier. 4. Gaining more sponsorships from local businesses it is intended to upgrade, update and augment the advertising signs on the boundary walls of the Club s main pitch. This has been an untapped resource for many years....continued >>> Strictly Come Dancing Joint Facebook Campaign by The Harps and DDF Scoreboard Sponsorship A Local Business has sponsored the new scoreboard offsetting some of it s costs.

<<< continued 5. Marketing Club Gear such as Jerseys, Shorts, Socks, Tops, Caps, etc will be displayed in local businesses and can be purchased from a designated committee member who has been appointed. The focus group made three recommendations which the present committee accept: Photo: New Jerseys sourced locally which are now available to our supporters to purchase. The appointment of a Finance and Fundraising Sub-Committee to organise and oversee the preparation of accounts and fundraising by the Club. The preparation of a Club budget at the beginning of the year to give a clear picture of what funds needed to be raised and how they would be spent. The external auditing of Club accounts before the AGM to ensure best practice is followed and to give transparency to the Club s finances.

The Harps GAA Club Plan 2015-2019 Facilities and Development: In five years time our Club will be able to say Our Players now enjoy the very best possible facilities both on and off the pitch. The Focus Group outlined four priorities in this area. The first two involved buying land beside the pitch in Durrow or acquiring land from Laois County Council. Unfortunately, neither of these happened despite the best efforts of the Club. In the former case, after almost a year negotiating with the two banks who had taken possession of the land, the Club s offer was accepted only to be almost immediately rejected and the land was sold at auction for a price well in excess of our final offer. In reality, the prospects of the Club being able to purchase suitable land anywhere in the Parish are remote even if we worked with another local sports club who like ourselves have been trying to expand for many years. The other two priorities put forward by the focus group were to (a) continue to develop and improve facilities and (b) to provide flood-lighting for the full pitch in Cullohill. Photo: New Public Toilets facilities in the new building. New dugouts are to be commissioned for the Cullohill pitch and the provision of floodlights for that pitch will be considered during the 5-year plan. Photos: A before (bottom) and after (bottom-right) of the new Gym building theharpsgaa.com theharpsgaa@gmail.com TheHarpsGAA TheHarpsGAA (087) 4103520

Coaching and Games Development: In five years time our Club will be able to say Our Underage section is among the best in the county. We have achieved excellence in coaching standards and encourage skill development by providing games for our young players in a safe and enjoyable environment. Our adult teams perform to their full potential because we have the best possible coaching systems and structures in place. Among the recommendations put forward are: 1. The appointment of a Club Coaching and Games Development Officer and a coaching and games development Sub-Committee to oversee all aspects of games development in the club and to ensure the best coaching structures are put in place. Photos: New Gym Room (above) and associated Changing Rooms (below) 2. The establishment of formal Club-School links to cement the relationship between the Club and the schools and to ensure the children receive GAA coaching in school. 3. A nursery programme be put in place for 4 to 7 year olds to encourage them towards a life-long involvement with Gaelic Games. 4. That age-appropriate activities such as the Go- Games model and Super-Touch games be provided for underage players to nurture their skills. 5. To increase the number of coaches in the Club and to ensure that they receive proper training on GAA coaching courses. Obviously, no adult can coach a team without satisfying the criteria laid down by the GAA, including the need for Garda Vetting. 6. The Club shall continue to host and promote a Cúl Camp every summer to give all children in the locality exposure to external coaches. 7. The Club s Child Protection Officer shall ensure that the GAA Code of Best Practice and Code of continued >>>

<<< continued Behaviour are in place and that all members are familiar with them. This is to ensure that there is a culture of respect, support and tolerance in the Club and that we provide a safe and welcoming environment for our young players. 8. The Club shall provide a programme of games for players at underage and adult level to ensure that each player gets to play in a meaningful amount of games. 9. By the same token, managers/coaches should ensure that underage players who are eligible to also play at adult level are carefully managed and are not burnt-out by being forced to play for and train with a multiplicity of teams. Photo Below: Harps Camogie players at a recent Blitz hosted by Colt GAA Club in Raheen which featured six teams from all around the county Photo: New shower facilities in the Gymnasium Building.

Photo: Traditional Signage on kerbside encouraging local support. Communications, PR and Culture: In five years time our Club will be able to say Our Club is the best Sporting, Cultural and Social organisation in our community, all our members and supporters are connected through traditional and new media. Our members are aware of everything that is happening in the Club. Key Projects: Scór: We will enter Scór, Scór na nóg and Scór na bpáisti competitions. This will encourage some to become involved with the Club who otherwise might not have done so. Website: We will continue to develop the Club website which has been active for some time. Recent additions have seen match reports complete with photos and video clips published after most games. Photo: Online Campaign to encourage followers to follow the Laois County Team Photo: Catchy online ads are published on Twitter and Facebook ahead of most games encouraging followers to attend games that Involve Harps teams both at our home venue and away games alike. Social Media: The Club will continue to embrace the likes of Facebook and Twitter. Both our accounts offer live score updates, fixtures, results, upcoming events etc and have followers from all over the world, proving hugely popular with local people who now live elsewhere be it in Ireland, Britain, the US or Australia. Both our accounts have met the standards required by the GAA for official Club accounts since their inception. Communication: All members are contacted by SMS (text message), email or an online secure web-page regarding training, matches, meetings etc The Club also publishes items of interest in the fortnightly Parish Newsletter and a monthly hardcopy bulletin is disseminated locally with a list of fixtures for the month for all club teams, results from the previous months and any other relevant news snippets. There is considerable IT expertise among younger committee members and it is intended that in order to keep the high standard of communications both inside and outside the club that we keep pace with the developments in Communications Technology as they become mainstream.

Implementation and Review Mechanisms for the Plan: This Plan is a living document. It will be reviewed, assessed and adapted to ensure it facilitates the Harps GAA Club in reaching its potential over the duration of the plan. It will be possible to assess the success of the Plan. The Club Executive Committee will put in place a Plan Implementation Sub- Committee. This team will meet on a quarterly basis and assess the progress of the plan against its stated objectives. This team will decide on the most appropriate method to carry out a comprehensive annual review of the Plan. This will involve the assessment of the current initiatives, their appropriateness for the needs of the Club/and the identification of additional initiatives to assist in the completion of achieving the goals and objectives outlined in the Plan. If required, the Plan will be modified and adapted based on the inputs. The Committee will also be responsible for communicating the modified Plan to all Harps GAA Club members. Acknowledgements: Attendance at The Harps GAA Club Forum: James Joyce, Noel Delaney, Jer Alley, Joe Deegan, Padraig Henderson, Pat Young, Martin Fitzpatrick, Vincent O Sullivan, Mairead Doheny, Hilda Mc Evoy, Jacinta Fitzpatrick, Niall Mullins, David Doheny, Jack Mc Evoy, Maura Galvin, Kevin Gilman Snr, Kay Clancy, Seamus Campion, Pat Barnaville, Conor Dunne, John Paul Deegan. Barry Dunne, Eoin Clancy, Rory Doyle, Enda Murphy, Tommy Walsh, Gabriel Irwin, Joseph Costigan, Phil White, John Bourke, Enda Whelan, Mary Donaghue, Tom Dunne, Gerry Murphy, Deirdre Fleming, Margaret Murphy, Ann Mahony, Sean Dunphy, Donal Deegan, Kevin Gilman Jnr, David O Connell, Larry Mahony, Tomas Kenna. John Kirby, Liam Clancy, Mick Fitzpatrick, Shane Phelan, Brian Galvin, John Prior, Denis Lennon, Martin Lalor, Kieran Mc Evoy, Liam Phelan, Adrian Sheppard, Barry Murphy, Martin Kelly, Martin Deegan, Albert Townsend, Catherine Geoghegan, Sean Conroy, Shane Bowe, Bill Mc Evoy, Daniel Dunne, Tony Mc Guigan, John Brophy, Dan Deegan, Ciara Mc Evoy.

Glossary of Terms: Alcohol and Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP): Award 1: GAA programme that focuses on minimising the harm being caused by alcohol and drugs in society. Coach education programme that qualifies the participant to be a lead coach for either child, youth or adult players. Club School Link: Club support for local primary schools to ensure promotion of the Club and the games Cúl Camps: Go Games: An organised camp for children aged between seven and 13. They are run by qualified coaches and usually held during the summer. Small sided skill development games for under 12 s that focus solely on skill development and participation Have-a-go day : A series of football and hurling recreational blitzes held for individuals or groups who have had little or no involvement in the GAA previously. These are held at Club locations for newcomer or non-traditional communities. Introductory Award: Scór: Basic coach education for beginner coaches for child, youth and adult players. Initiatives and activities in which GAA members engage to promote Irish music, dancing and culture. Supertouch: Small sided games for 13 to 18 year olds