Day in the Life of Catherine Cunniffe - Chairperson of Danesfort GAA & Camogie Club - Kilkenny Live

Catherine Cunniffe is the Chairperson of Danesfort GAA & Camogie Club. 

Originally from Danesfort, she started her camogie career in Danesfort club when she was eight years old. Unfortunately, there weren't enough numbers at the time to continue the camogie team. 

However, Catherine went on to secondary school in St. Brigid’s College in Callan. She was in the same class as camogie player Tracy Millea and Tracy asked her to play with the Ballycallan camogie team. 

All Catherine’s juvenile and adult camogie days were with Ballycallan and she played college camogie for WRTC / WIT as well as minor county. She was able to play for a short period with Danesfort again before she retired. 

Catherine is a mentor for both boy and girl teams and is very active in the club for the past ten years. She is part of one of the first GAA Clubs in Kilkenny to have a Diversity and Inclusion team. 

From fundraiser, camogie coaching officer, registrar, mentor to Chairperson, Catherine is a worthy representative for all Danesfort GAA stands for.   

The day job is as Professional Software Engineering Services (PSES) Division Head in the Walton Institute SETU. After work and homework, it's straight to the club on most evenings and weekends for the Cunniffe household. Here is a glimpse into Catherine’s world…. 

Catherine, your inaugural speech as the incoming chairperson, you were a little unorthodox and asked everyone on the night what did they want and expect from the chairperson of Danesfort GAA & Camogie club. Explain why you took this approach? 

Becoming chairperson of Danesfort GAA & Camogie Club is an incredible honour and privilege for me.

I am a volunteer and I give my time freely to facilitate and support the development of our club both on and off the field. We are already a one club model, camogie and hurling together. We are a community of mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers together in one mighty club working together as one. 

A wise woman once told me - God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason – to listen twice as much as you speak. Everyone has a view and an opinion on an issue or issues that affect our club.

I was asking that these views are aired in a constructive way when suggesting improvements for our club. To build on the legacy of the last 100 years, we need to support and respect one another, the time that each volunteer gives to our club and the reasons why they are volunteering in the first place is for the love of the game and our club. 

Everyone who volunteers will appreciate the time and effort that goes into being a volunteer and without family support and encouragement it simply would not be possible. 

While we might not always agree, we can agree to disagree, and make the best decision for our club. The club is for everyone, and I encourage all members to continue to positively support our club. 

In some of the most difficult times in your family’s life the GAA has been a huge support to both you and your children. How has the GAA helped you? 

James passed away ten years ago this coming week. At the time our children were only four and six. We saw the strength and depth of the GAA family first hand. 

On one of the days of James’ wake a minibus pulled up outside our home, and elderly gentlemen began to get off the bus. James’ late father Tom played football for Clann na Gael in Roscommon and all his old teammates had travelled to Kilkenny to pay their respects to Tom’s son and family – this meant so much to us. 

A few months after James passed away, I got a phone call from a neighbour asking if I would be interested in becoming a mentor with my son Alan’s team. I wasn’t sure at first, I took some time to think about it and sure the rest is history. I have been mentoring with both my son and daughters’ teams since. 

You must be super organised to juggle work, kids, and the club? 

I suppose I am. I would be quite organised alright; my children are at a great age to be able to take on this role also. 

Is there any downtime for Catherine Cunniffe?! 

You wouldn’t think so with home life, work, and club, but like many working parents juggling home, work, and social lives can be a challenge but definitely there is downtime. I get a great night’s sleep and I like to garden and read. 

GAA in Ireland would not work without their volunteers. You have huge respect for volunteers, please explain what they give to your Club? 

As chairperson, I am in the fortunate position to be standing on the shoulders of phenomenal and extraordinary men and women who over the last 100 years nurtured, developed, and built the club to what it is today. 

To all those hard-working loyal volunteers past and present, I owe a huge debt. To all those who came before me, who soldiered in difficult times promoting our club, I sincerely appreciate their dedication, time, and unwavering commitment. 

The games and events of our club simply do not happen on their own. The endless hours that our field committee and grounds people freely give to keep our pitches and grounds in tip top condition, the coordination of training and matches all running like clockwork. 

Without our players our games would not exist. Without the parents of our players transporting children to and from training and matches, without mentors to mentor our players we would not have teams. 

Without the dedicated fund raisers of our club, we could not function. Without our many sponsors and supporters of our club we could not develop our facilities. Without our main sponsor Terry and Kate Clune, we simply could not undertake our development. 

Without the dedicated volunteer we are nothing, with them we are everything. A sincere appreciation and thank you to them all. 

Danesfort is one of the first GAA Clubs in Kilkenny to have a Diversity and Inclusion team. What does that mean for the club? 

You might have heard the GAA slogan – ‘where we all belong’. From that there is a whole initiative from the GAA to be more diversified and inclusive. 

Diversity and inclusion are not just about children with additional needs as the requirements vary across communities. For us it’s about including children of families who have additional needs. As opposed to sitting in the car or standing on the sidelines while their siblings play. 

After that first night of diversity and inclusion games, my daughter told me that it was one of the best nights she had experienced in the club, because she was part of something and she was giving back, by helping other kids. 

Over the last 100 years, Danesfort GAA Club has had many great days but none greater than the events of your centenary year of 2022. Why was it so special? 

Danesfort GAA & Camogie club is more than a hurling and camogie club, it is the beating heart of our community, the sense of place and belonging is paramount and unique to the GAA. 

Our members, our volunteers have served us well for the last 100 years and have provided us with a phenomenal legacy in which to build on for the next 100 years. 

Our club was founded in 1922 and we were 100 years young last year! To celebrate our history, last July, our club and community held a centenary concert in BallyKeeffe Amphitheatre. It was a phenomenal success. To be part of that celebration of history was something that I will never forget. 

Until the night of the concert, I don’t think people realised the extraordinary musical and acting talent that is on our own doorstep in our own community. That concert would not have happened without the teams of fantastic volunteers coming together to produce that concert. Mile Buíochas. 

What do you want to achieve in your term of Chairperson? 

In the short to medium term some of the events that we will be having in the coming months will be the turning of the sod on our new club house development on a date to be confirmed.

The official opening of our ‘Le Chéile’ Walking track on a date to be confirmed, the Shane O’Neill Memorial Tournament and the refurbishment of our existing club rooms. I will also be looking at strategic plans for the club for the next 12 to 24 months. 

What is your hope for the future of Danesfort GAA and Camogie club? 

My vision as chairperson is for everyone to collectively make our club better, in terms of; a club executive, of performance on the field of play, of developing our players, improved communications, of providing all our teams with the facilities required to prepare for the highest level, and to be a welcoming and inclusive club.