Annual General Meeting

What is generally regarded as one of the most constructive Annual General Meetings of the club  was held in The Clubhouse in Springfield on Saturday night with one of the largest attendances in recent memory.

Several officers had signalled their intention of stepping down prior to the meeting and as a result a new executive was in place at the end of the evening’s stocktaking.  After 15 years of service, Chairman Pearse Corroon retired and was replaced by Seán Hynes; Maria Carroll succeeds Aoibhínn Corroon as Treasurer and Ritchie Daly returns to the Secretary post reinvigorated after a year’s semi-sabbatical. Tom Hunt continues as PRO.  Sean Hynes’ elevation to the adult chaIr created a vacancy at under-age level and as a result, Barry Kelly, as he moves towards refereeing 60 senior inter-county hurling championship matches, was elected chairman of the under-age committee.

In an at times emotional address, Pearse Corroon outlined in detail the year’s activities and spoke with great passion and pride on the importance of Mullingar Shamrocks to him personally. Pearse was the beneficiary of many tributes on the night and at the conclusion of his address was honoured with a standing ovation, a rare honour for living GAA administrators.  

 Pearse served Mullingar Shamrocks as chairman since 2003 and brought an extraordinary passion and commitment to the club in that time. Drive in the gates at Springfield and Pearse’s impact on the club’s infrastructure is immediately obvious. The construction of the AstroTurf, the lighted perimeter walkway, much of the reclamation of the juvenile pitch including the upgraded lighting and of course the expansion of the clubhouse to include the building of the Fitness Centre form an impressive legacy of Pearse’s hands-on approach to club leadership. 

Someone suggested that if Seán Hynes was to serve for the same period of time as Pearse, he would be stepping down in 2033!

The following officers were elected: President: Detty Cornally; Chairman: Seán Hynes; Vice-chairman: Ned Moore; Secretary: Ritchie Daly; Assistant-secretary: Aidan O’Donoghue; Treasurer: Maria Carroll; Assistant-treasurer: Micheál Burke; PRO; Tom Hunt; Healthy Club Officer: Joan Ormsby; Children’s Officer: Lisa Burke; Cultural Officer: Paul Doolin; Coaching and Games Development Officer: Robbie Boyle; Registrars: Des Maguire, Karen Hegarty, Anthony Clinton; Under-age Committee:  Chairman: Barry Kelly; Secretary: Pat Collins.

James O’Dowd who captained Mullingar Shamrocks to win their first senior county title in 1964 and Paddy Cole, one of the all-tine greats of Westmeath football were honoured by their inclusion in the list of Honorary Presidents of Mullingar Shamrocks.