Joe O'Shaughnessy

Joe O’Shaughnessy discusses his lifetime’s engagement with the GAA through his involvement with his club, Castletown, the Wexford County Board and various committees at national level. O’Shaughnessy earliest memories of the GAA centre around the informality of games with his brothers and journeys to games alongside his father, including local travels by pony and trap. He sheds light on the influence of a local cleric on the development of underage football in the area in the 1950s and the subsequent successes enjoyed by the club in the 1960s. O’Shaughnessy highlights the sometimes complex relationship between hurling and football and the challenges the club faced in sourcing suitable places to play their games. As well as documenting landmark developments in the club’s history, O’Shaughnessy discusses his move into administration at county board level, the intrusion it made into his working life and pre-eminence of concerns around finance. Ongoing issues around funding are also discussed and he touches in the funding streams for a future Centre of Excellence in Ferns and the increased pressures to provide for the escalating costs of running teams. In addition, O’Shaughnessy talks about the enjoyment he has derived from his involvement with various committees in Croke Park, including Handball Central Council. Reference is also made to the highlights of his GAA involvement, his favourite teams, the importance of the Association to emigrant communities and reasons for pride in its achievements at home.