Category : Front Page News | Sub Category : Front Page Posted on 2025-02-20 17:06:51
Shirley Lennon leans back in her chair and exhales, smiling at the question she’s been asked more than once in recent weeks. How does she feel about taking on the dual responsibility of overseeing both fixtures and referees in GAA Rounders?
“Daunting,” she admits, laughing. “I’m really looking forward to the challenge, but I’m a small bit terrified. Chris Hughes has been doing this job for years, and he’s scarily brilliant. The bar is high!”
Fixtures and referees—the logistical backbone of any sport. If either collapses, the entire structure wobbles. It’s a job of negotiation, foresight, and no small amount of diplomacy. As Lennon puts it, “We all want all teams to get as many games as they can, without having to spend too much time on the road. That’s the challenge.” But she isn’t doing it alone. “I’m very lucky to have great support—our President Iain Cheyne, our Central Council delegate Michael Meaney, and the CCC are all there to help. I know I can rely on them if I have queries or problems.”
She speaks with the matter-of-fact tone of someone who understands exactly what she’s getting into. But there’s something else—something unmistakable in the way she talks about Rounders. For all the spreadsheets and scheduling conflicts ahead, she’s still, at heart, a player.
A Return to Skryne
Rounders has been in Lennon’s life for as long as she can remember. “I played as a child, with Skryne and in the Community Games,” she recalls. A full-circle moment arrived post-Covid when she became deeply involved with Royal Rounders, a standalone club based in Dunderry, where she took on the roles of player, manager, and secretary.
Unfortunately, as happens too often in grassroots sport, numbers dwindled. The club didn’t affiliate for the 2025 season. “It’s tough, but I’m going back to my roots in Skryne, and I’m very excited to play with them again,” she says.
She speaks about the game the way a musician might talk about their instrument, with a mixture of reverence and delight. “There’s something to be learned in every training session and match. I love that everyone can play, no matter what age or ability—everyone can throw, catch, hit, and run. The more you play, the better you become.”
And then there’s that feeling, that rush, that keeps her coming back. “The adrenaline of hitting a ball well or getting an out—it’s brilliant. It never gets old.”
Lennon’s journey has taken her from player to administrator, but her enthusiasm remains unchanged. The best moment? “Playing in the first-ever GAA Rounders Junior Mixed Final. We were soundly trounced by St. Clare’s, but getting to play, and getting a medal as well, was special.”
What has changed the most? She doesn’t hesitate. “Bats! I still have my little wooden bat from when I played underage, and it looks pretty sad beside some of the high-tech ones we use nowadays.”
And the best player she’s seen? There’s a pause before she gives an answer that feels definitive. “Tough question! We have some amazing players in our game, but for making it look so easy, Shane Sheridan from Erne Eagles is always great to watch playing.”
The Challenge of Fixing Fixtures
If her playing days have been full of joy, the role she’s now undertaking is likely to be full of headaches. “The biggest challenge is ensuring teams get as many games as possible this season while balancing geographic considerations and referee availability,” she says.
It’s a juggling act, and one she is still getting to grips with. The process of finalising the Master Fixtures List, for example, is as intricate as it is vital. “It’s top secret!” she laughs, before conceding, “Paula Doherty, our amazing National Secretary, drafted the Master Fixtures list, and we met to discuss it—but it’s mostly her hard work, with a small bit of input from me.”
She knows the stakes. “Games Secretaries tend to be very accommodating when it comes to genuine reasons for rescheduling or moving games, and I hope to be as well. But we also have to be mindful that there are so many teams playing across nine different grades, and changes aren’t easy. Other teams’ availability, pitch availability, referee availability—it all has to be taken into consideration. Ideally, clubs will stick to the fixtures as planned as much as possible.”
And what’s the most time-consuming part of organising fixtures? She grins. “Can you ask me that again in September?”
The Referee Dilemma
If fixtures are the backbone of Rounders, referees are its lifeblood. And there aren’t enough of them. “We definitely need more referees in GAA Rounders, especially in certain parts of the country,” Lennon admits.
It’s not for lack of trying. “Already this year, there have been two Referee Courses to train up new referees. But we need to ensure that, once they do the theoretical part of the course, we follow up to ensure they get practical experience so they can become fully qualified and ready to take on fixtures.”
Her vision is for every affiliated club to have at least one trained referee. “Even if they don’t want to referee in the short term, the knowledge they gain will be invaluable for their club. And players who know the rules better? They play better.”
A Dream for Rounders
Talk to any Rounders devotee, and the conversation will inevitably turn to what the sport could become. Lennon is no different. “I’d love to see more development of the juvenile game,” she says. “Craig Davis and the Juvenile Committee are doing great work, but it would be amazing to see Rounders played more in primary schools and for more underage clubs to develop.”
The dream event? She doesn’t hesitate. “It would be big. Our players deserve to experience playing on a huge stage. I’d love to see some of our finals in Croke Park, with 82,000 fans cheering the players on. Juvenile players as interval entertainment, a pre-match concert, and the anthem sung by the Saw Doctors!”
Then, with a mischievous smile: “And, of course, if anyone can bring that dream to reality, it’s our PRO!”
The People Make It Worth It
For all the challenges that lie ahead, it’s clear what keeps Lennon going. “The people,” she says simply. “We have an amazing team on Ard Comhairle who work so hard to promote and keep Rounders going. Outside of them, our Rounders community is full of great people who give tirelessly of their time and energy to make the game available to players.”
She speaks with admiration about those who have influenced her journey. “Christy Hughes is a legend—there’s not much about Rounders Christy doesn’t know, but he’s also the kindest and most generous man when it comes to sharing his knowledge and helping new teams and players.”
And another name comes up. “I also hugely admire Michael Dowling for all he has done, and continues to do, for our sport. Watching a match with Michael is always a great learning experience!”
Shirley also knows a great husband and family are the real MVPs—nodding along to fixture talk, tolerating endless Rounders chat, and accepting that summer weekends belong to the game. “It’s a lot of hours,” she laughs, “so it helps to have a husband who understands—or at least pretends to!”
She knows what’s coming—fixtures will need changing, referees will need finding, and complaints will need fielding. But she wouldn’t change a thing.