Morgan Fagg

Sep 23, 20183 min read

The Annual General G.A.A. Meeting

Updated: Oct 14, 2019

An AGM was called for my local G.A.A. team, The Madrid Harps and since I didn’t have late night classes to worry about and the venue was only a 20 minutes walk away, I decided to head down and bring my camera to the AGGAAM, Annual General G.A.A. Meeting.

Before a new committee was selected, I should point out that the few events I had seen in the 2017/2018 season were fantastic impressive events and a massive success.

Firstly the season was capped off with a massive GALA Ball and secondly I got the general feeling that the club was expanding.

One friend had told me at the Madrid Tournament about a club he was helping to set up by offering advice online and over the phone.

The Tournament had been held outside of Madrid in Tres Cantos where another Harp had established a rival club, in Madrid.

I guess once a Harp always a Harp even if you have a new team.

Martin has helped stage so many great events over the year, he deserves a medal.

Photos from the GALA Ball: https://www.gaa-gala-ball.nohemingway.com

My blog on the GALA Ball: https://www.nohemingway.com/blog/madrid-harps-gaa-gala-ball

At the GALA Ball, the ballers celebrated a 5-in-a-row victory and despite only seeing the final tournament, I can tell you that each game was hotly contested.

Almost a year ago the club was celebrating a HARPY Halloween in the James Joyce for the second year in a row and as much as I enjoyed the 2017 Halloween party, the 2016 event was amazing with even more members dressed up in very imaginative costumes.

The photographs speak for themselves, two crazy parties with lots of great costumes.

It's Halloween and yes she is dressed like a vampire but I'm pretty sure Kim always dresses that way.

Our best dressed winner 2017 is definitely an artist.

Now look below at the club's 2016 party, If you dare.

2016 Halloween photos: https://www.harppy-halloween.nohemingway.com

Speaking to Frankenstein before this year’s event Kieran Daly was unable to attend in the end but the mechanic managed to keep life in my monster (Alfa Romeo) for a few more months.

Missing a few bolts along the way, when Kieran says, don't get your timing belt done with Groupon, listen to our mechanical monster.

Also missing was my good friendo Javier Bardem, a man who has organised more hostels, buses, trains and airplanes for me over the years than I care to remember.

Seriously don’t know how I would have gotten around Spain so much in my first two years without amigos like Javier, Jesus, Andres, Nuria, Itzier and Katherine.

Someday the club will have to organise nominations for the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for some of the people who have contributed so much over so many years.

https://www.dfa.ie/global-irish/heritage/presidential-award/

Javi is used to having a laugh with Enda Kenny and he met Leo Varadkar TD on a pitch in Kerry.

https://www.nohemingway.com/blog/taoiseach-meets-the-madrid-harps

This year at the AGM, they were trying to organise assistants for all the committee places and discussed the difficulties of stretching the finances over so many activities.

I wondered what, if any, committee places I could volunteer for considering that I am not an active member and haven’t made training in a few years.

It is important to support your club in any capacity you can but you don’t want to volunteer for something you can't do well.

Both PRO and assistant PRO roles were quickly snapped up and there was no assistant mascot on offer so we were left with only one vacant position, chairperson.