Clare GAA appoints dairy farmer as demographics officer (2025)

Clare GAA has appointed 2013 All-Ireland hurling champion and dairy farmer, Patrick O’Connor as its new demographics officer.

O’Connor has worked in the agriculture sector for over a decade, since graduating with a degree in agricultural science 12 years ago. He also works on a dairy farm alongside his father.

The post of demographics officer will focus on revitalising local GAA teams whose numbers have dwindled over the years.

He told Agriland: “The post has perked a bit of interest. I’m in Clare, but if you go to any rural haunt, it’s exactly the same. Young families are being left with no choice but to go to urban centres where all the houses are being built.

“You can always make an excuse when these things come up that you’re too busy, but this is something I’d love to get stuck into and make a difference.”

O’Connor believes that rising costs have made it more difficult for families to live in rural areas, and it is impacting both the GAA and the farming community.

“On the farming side of it then, the regulations that came in of late, land is so expensive, so that’s a non-runner. Farmers have had to get more land, instead of giving away sites, in order to be able to milk cows at the numbers they were at.

“The end result is that people are being squeezed away from rural places,” he said.

“It’s an area that I feel very passionate about, I get a sense of pride driving around the west of Ireland, seeing how much industry is created from farming, for that part of the country.

“It’s been a brilliant social economy for the country. To see such little regeneration going on is seriously worrying,” he added.

Clare GAA

O’Connor believes that the GAA may need to look “outside the box” to tackle declining playing numbers in rural clubs.

He said: “It’s a tough one. I think the GAA have to look at what Jack Charlton called ‘the granny rule’. We’re all talking about the issues rural Ireland has. Urban centres have different issues, with the same result.

“They get huge player fall-off, they struggle with retention, haven’t enough teams, haven’t enough coaches to be effective. We’re talking about the rural stuff, the urban side is also struggling with retention.

“On a very basic level, you have two very different issues, but working together you could find a solution.”

O’Connor also believes that new ideas are needed to help keep people involved in the GAA.

“The GAA needs to look outside the box. This thing where you bleed your club colours, I don’t think you can do that anymore,” he continued.

“We have to look outside the box, if that means opening up the door to play for wherever your parents came from, we should look at that and facilitate people if they wanted to do that,” he added.