A solid pedigree and safe pair of hands – it’s game on for Calleary
FOR a political party that regards itself as valuing sport more seriously than its opponents, Fianna Fáil have taken no chances with the appointment of Dara Calleary as Minister of
State for Sport.
Calleary is regarded as a safe pair of hands in every sense, steady under the high ball, like his late father Seán, a stalwart of Connacht rugby who played for the province under the pseudonym JJ Kelly because of the infamous GAA ban.
Those ‘foreign’ sports – rugby, football, cricket, hockey, and many others – will all come under the remit of the Mayo TD for the next two and a half years.
While Calleary was dismayed at missing out on a full-blown ministerial post, especially after his role as chief negotiator, the portfolio he has inherited will bring challenges, and potential rewards – he can only do so much to assist Mayo’s relentless quest for ‘Sam’.
As Chief Whip with full Cabinet rank, Calleary will not only sit at the top table, where he can fight his corner for sport, but his brief will keep him in direct contact with all departments, which could also be advantageous.
A further plus, is his rank as the first deputy leader of a major party to have responsibility for sport. To clear any major hurdle, Calleary only has to knock on the door of Taoiseach Micheál Martin, with whom he will be in constant contact.
While Catherine Martin is cabinet overseer as Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sports and the Gaeltacht, Calleary is seen as a hands-on captain of the first XV, the go-to guy who will oversee all positions on the field of play, and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the National Governing Bodies under his wing.
Predictably, the GAA, IRFU and the FAI will command a chunk of his time, with the latter in a tizzy over the details of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with Calleary’s predecessor, Shane Ross, in January.
Like the best captains, expect Calleary to lead by deed, not stirring rhetoric or PR stunts.
Ross cooked his own goose at the last election with a cheap shot at Irish football. Unlike Ross, Calleary won’t be first to Dublin Airport, hogging the limelight for Ireland’s returning heroes.
Rather, he will stay in the background, offering a quiet word or two when the moment is right.
A good friend observed: ‘Dara will get his head around things and make his own assessment. If he thinks something is the wrong move, he won’t make it.
‘He can come across as shy, as he’s not someone who dominates a conversation. But he’s very determined and you’ll find it difficult to find anyone who’ll say a bad word about him.
‘He doesn’t make enemies and he’s hugely respected. In a soccer team, he’d be Dennis Irwin. Dependable and missed most when he’s not there.’
As he sizes up the field of play, Calleary will have to be seen to play fair, especially when it comes to Sports Capital projects.
Previous Ministers of Sport, Jim McDaid, John O’Donoghue, Michael Ring, didn’t hide what they did for their constituencies while in office.
While Calleary has a certain responsibility for his Ballina bailiwick, he has to play the ball, not the man.
For instance, while Dublin gets a huge chunk of state aid, the dearth of facilities and active sports clubs between the canals, is a concern. Calleary arrives in Leeson Place at a time of imminent change in the make-up of the Department of Sport, and its development arm, Sport Ireland. Shaping policy and filling senior positions will be two of the challenges facing him.
Very few of his predecessors had a grasp of what sport means to the community in Ireland, and how critical all sports are for mental and physical wellbeing, and an enduring sense of camaraderie and friendship.
Calleary’s father Sean would have appreciated the lifelong bonds he forged in his Galwegians days when the Connacht Senior League and Cup returned to Glenina five years running from 1955, and he trialled for Ireland.
Calleary is a former treasurer at Ballina RFC, where his father was president, while his appreciation of sport extends to Ballina Stephenites, and the
Mayo footballers.
Often seen at Ballina Town matches, and a firm Liverpool fan, Calleary was in his late teens when Jack Charlton bought a house on the River Moy in 1991 to give Ballina’s profile a boost
Charlton was a great champion of the famed ridge pool and while Calleary can’t walk on water as Charlton did, he’ll seek to keep the ripples to a minimum.
After Sport was lumped into a six-way jumble sale last weekend, Calleary’s appointment solely in charge of Sport and An Ghaeltacht has eased concerns. It’s game on.