Killarney Golf Club appeals for end to ‘damaging’ media leaks
The chairman of the beleaguered Management Council of Killarney Golf and Fishing Club, Mike Daly, has announced he will not be chairman in 2019.
He revealed his decision to members at the club’s controversial AGM, on Monday night, saying he was acting in the best interests of the club going forward.
A motion of no confidence in Mr Daly, which also called on him to step down immediately, in the names of leading members Tommy Cooper and Ger Walsh, was not moved in the circumstances.
Bitter internal divisions were exposed, however.
There was an overflow attendance of at least 200 members at the meeting in the club’s restaurant, with some members having to be accommodated in the bar where they viewed proceedings on video.
At the outset, Mr Daly appealed for an end to damaging leaks to the media from inside the club regarding recent controversies surrounding a report by management consultants Deloitte into the running and management of the club.
The full report has not been released to members, though the meeting heard it was being widely leaked.
Most of the criticism at the meeting was directed at Mr Daly who was accused of trying to be an “executive chairman” and of getting too involved in the day-to-day running of the club.
There were clear signs of a stand-off between Mr Daly and the club’s general manager, Cormac Flannery.
Addressing the meeting, Mr Flannery said he had not been invited to several of the management council’s meetings and declined to give a report on sales and marketing because, he said, of the current situation in the club.
Members called for an end to the stand-off between the chairman and the manager, describing it as unacceptable. There was a call for mediation between them.
There was also strong criticism of the failure of negotiations to renew the contract of former club professional David Keating, which led to his recent departure after 11 years in the post.
Lady captain Sheila Crowley, also a member of the management council, came to Mr Daly’s defence, saying all decisions were taken by the council and he was not acting solely.
She also called for an end to “vilification” of the club and some of its personalities, especially in the social media, and for an end to leaks to the press which she said were extremely damaging to the club.
Ms Crowley also said the council wanted to give the Deloitte report to club members. They took further legal advice late last week on the report, but were told they were not allowed to release it, she said.
