Clubs and Societies Awards

Winners underlined and in bold...didn't catch last 2!

BEST CLUB
Outdoor Pursuits
Kayak
American Football

NEW/IMPROVED CLUB:
Dance UL
Trampoline
Swim

CLUB EVENT
Outdoor Pursuits- Kilimanjaro & Elbrus
American Football- Granada Bowl
Trampoline- All Ireland Intervarsity Trampoline Competition

CLUB INDIVIDUAL
Tim Quinlan- Outdoor Pursuits
Gavin Sheehan- Kayak
Kelly Angley- American Football

BEST SOCIETY
Out in UL
Music
International

NEW/IMPROVED Society
Tea Appreciation
Racing/ Motorsport
Law

SOCIETY EVENT
Comedy - Intervarsities
International- International Week 2015
Out in UL- Queerbash 11

SOCIETY INDIVIDUAL
Ciaran O'Donnell- International
Vanessa O'Brien- Drama
Sarah Guerin- Tea Appreciation

MIKE SADLIER
Sean Sweeney- Music Soc.

PADDY MCHUGH

JASON HACKETT

You clearly don't understand how the C&S Awards work. It is up to the club/soc to nominate themselves for an award. No one on the GAA committee nominated themselves this year or the past 3 years for any award.

The GAA club did amazing this year, but the Fitzgibbon is not the most prestigious third level competition. Prestige is relative. The kayakers won their intervarsities for the 6th year in a row. If you ask any kayaker, they'll say this is far more prestigious then the Fitzgibbon.

Figerty wrote: »

Does the Kayaking get live coverage on National television...pages on the newpapers.. Kayaking with all due respect isn't in the same league; So which third level sport or society gains the attention and respect of the general public a greater extent.. Which sport/club has a higher level of excellence? Athletics perhaps?

I understand that any award that you have to nominate yourself for isn't worth having!

Kev Cah wrote: »

Kayaking does every 4 years when the Olympics comes around. Hurling doesn't have the same international presence as kayaking.

One of the many reasons that the C&S Awards were set up, was to allow clubs & socs with little to no national competitions to be able to compete against each other. Where else could a outdoor pursuits club beat a rugby club to win the 'Best Club Award'

Ah come on now. Kayaking in Ireland, let alone UL isn't on the same league. there are probably more people playing competitive hurling in Ireland than there is kayaking worldwide. And aside from that there is an international presence in the GAA, it may not be ultra competitive but it's there.

A Club or Soc. doesn't have to be competitive to be a great Club or Soc. and in any particular year it could be better than the Rugby or Hurling club.. but in the year that UL win the Fitz. and the Freshers for the first time it's no- brainer that it's the leading achiever.

I don't want to disrespect the other Clubs and Socs activities but the awards are a farce if they don't have a club like the GAA, in a year of huge achievement, at least in the running. UL athletics is another, Basketball etc. are great clubs. For none of these to feature or to nominate themselves seem to be a statement of value on the award.

sup_dude wrote: »

If you're not in UL, how can you tell that the other clubs didn't deserve it more? UL Archery Club successfully hosted the biggest archery competition in Ireland. All the clubs and socs have achievements of note. It wouldn't be fair to judge just because one sport is more popular than another.

History...

sup_dude wrote: »

The awards happen every year. Clubs and socs grow and change.

Indeed they do. I remember a long time ago in UL the Outdoor pursuits used to have a sign up saying 'Bus to XXXXX, first 50 names to go.' UL authorities eventually copped on that there was about 12,, the same 12 on the bus every event and that the 500 they signed up in Fresher week never materialised into reality. I hope that has changed.

sup_dude wrote: »

If you're not in UL, how can you tell that the other clubs didn't deserve it more? UL Archery Club successfully hosted the biggest archery competition in Ireland. All the clubs and socs have achievements of note. It wouldn't be fair to judge just because one sport is more popular than another.

I actually agree with you 100% on that fairness of the system not just judging on Popularity. Why wasn't archery in the top 3 so?

You can also argue that the resources put behind one sport due to it's importance makes is unfair. But when it comes to an award ceremony for the Best club that you have to nominate yourself for it's a bit ridiculous. I presume the voting system for the winner is fair, transparent and honest?

It sound's more like a CV building exercise for those involved. Actually I see where I went wrong on this. It's the SU awards.. that explains it.

Ginge Young wrote: »

Mate - your scraping the bottom of the barrel now. Read my last post to understand how the awards work.

As for resources, I can't go into the budget system now, but people just don't get given money. Their is a strict budget process that they must follow to get new funds (which includes fundraising).

CV Building? You clearly have no understanding of the work some individuals in Clubs & Societies put into their individual clubs and societies.

GAA - seeing as you keep bringing them up have full time staff that support and run their club. Student involvement has always been incredibly lacking, however I believe in the last year or two student involvement has been increased in the running of it.

Thanks for the detailed reply; I do appreciate it. The fact clubs don't bother with it tells you the value they have on it. I presume the Awards night is mainly supported by the clubs and societies nominated..

I was involved in UL years ago with more that one Club or Society, at a time when the SU couldn't produce Annual Accounts at an AGM. There was all sorts of dodgy goings on. It lurched from one crisis to another.. I hope that has changed. I've been following the SU in UL and I wouldn't be overly confident.

I do understand the workings of clubs and societies. I know the massive work that goes in voluntarily. I know there are great people in there; but I also know the attention seekers are always there.

The GAA clubs always had huge student involvement. Coaching, playing, admin. etc. That statement is wrong. The promotional value of the GAA to UL is massive and it explains the support.

Good luck with the awards but if GAA, Archery, Athletics, Soccer, Rugby are not in there it looks like a poor reflection on the system.

I presume the GAA are going to have a massive ball of their own this year with such a successful year. I presume the Clubs and Society will do the honour of attending it???

Figerty wrote: »

Thanks for the detailed reply; I do appreciate it. The fact clubs don't bother with it tells you the value they have on it. I presume the Awards night is mainly supported by the clubs and societies nominated..

I was involved in UL years ago with more that one Club or Society, at a time when the SU couldn't produce Annual Accounts at an AGM. There was all sorts of dodgy goings on. It lurched from one crisis to another.. I hope that has changed. I've been following the SU in UL and I wouldn't be overly confident.

I do understand the workings of clubs and societies. I know the massive work that goes in voluntarily. I know there are great people in there; but I also know the attention seekers are always there.

The GAA clubs always had huge student involvement. Coaching, playing, admin. etc. That statement is wrong. The promotional value of the GAA to UL is massive and it explains the support.

Good luck with the awards but if GAA, Archery, Athletics, Soccer, Rugby are not in there it looks like a poor reflection on the system.

I presume the GAA are going to have a massive ball of their own this year with such a successful year. I presume the Clubs and Society will do the honour of attending it???

Yes things have vastly improved in terms of record keeping. I can say that at least for the 7 years I've been here.

My statement is not incorrect - in terms of the students leading and running the club, for a number of years people who held committee positions were there because they had to be there. The running of the Club always fell to the GAA Development officer and other staff in the University. That is a fact - and while I said student involvement has increased in terms of a committee from my understanding it does not negate the fact that GAA are the only Club on campus that have full time dedicated staff.

As for the awards, again you are limiting what makes a good club on successes they have. Winning stuff does not make you a great club in itself, there are a whole host of other criteria. Again you are being very critical of a system which you know nothing about. You don't know if the clubs you mentioned nominated themselves for anything, you don't know how good their nominations may have been and you don't know how well their clubs are actually run (edit: neither do I for that matter, not being critical of those clubs just stating neither of us can be). You also have no concept of what those who were shortlisted have done in comparison to the ones you support.

Fairplay to GAA in their successes they are massive achievements. But please don't think that gives you a right to put other Clubs achievements down the drain, because you as a currently external individual with no concept of what actually goes on or what people have done this year thinks its unfair.