Gaeil Fhánada's Fiona Shiels confirms she's in the race for county PRO

Fiona Shiels has confirmed her interest in running for the position of county PRO at next month’s annual county convention. 

John McEniff, the outgoing PRO, is willing to support Gaeil Fhánada club member should she gain election to the position on December 14. Sinead Breen from St Mary’s Convoy has thrown her hat into the ring.

Shiels is from Navan, Co Meath, where she served as PRO with her local club Wolfe Tones, as they won a first ever county JHC, with her father as manager. He was Meath Hurling Board Chairman, a selector with the county hurling team when they won the Keogh Cup, before becoming Leinster Council’s safety officer, under Leinster President, Liam O’Neill.

“Public Relations was very different back then with strict deadlines, written formats, and no social media,” she told DonegalLive.

She built on this experience and went on to act as PRO for the National Blue Jeans festival and also secretary of the Round Ireland Tractor Drive in 1989, a collaboration between Meath IFA and Macra na Feirme to raise much needed funds for homeless boys in Dublin. Shiels worked in various administrative duties including playing a part in the refurbishment of O’Moore Park in Portlaoise and Carlow’s Dr Cullen Park. She met and married Hughie Shiels from Fanad and moved to Donegal in 1995. 

“My ancestral roots took me back to Baile na nGalloglach, as maiden name, Englishby translates to Ní Ghallóglaigha as Gaeilge,” she added

Shiels became involved in Gaeil Fhánada as secretary of their Bord na nÓg, Cultural Officer, and PRO before she was elected to her current role as club secretary in 2009. She served on the County Cultural Committee alongside Seamus Rogers, Con O’Donnell, and Fergus McGee and was county coordinator of the National Club Draw.

More recently, Shiels- a member of the county committee since 2005 - spent four years on the Competitions Control Committee, occasionally stepping in as acting secretary to both Declan Martin and Ed Byrne and filled in as PRO and helped set up the Serversport system to ensure clubs and the media received notice of fixtures.

In Fanad, she worked closely with Comortas Peile na Gaeltachta and her club had a new pitch development to the county Gaeltacht on May of this year. Her daughter Hannah is shortlisted by Ulster Council for the Young Volunteer of the Year Award, with the announcement this Friday.

“Volunteerism is the bedrock of the community,” said Shiels, who works as a Special Needs Assistant in Loreto Community School in Milford, having previously worked in Finn Valley College, Stranorlar.

“There will be many challenges but I believe that we need to be taken out of our comfort zone to perform to the best of our abilities. I was involved in the CCC and helped with the first streaming of games on a trial basis in Donegal and Ulster in 2016.  

“I have looked at possible revenue sources and assure clubs that should I become their PRO the streaming of games will only take place at games where the gate is a county gate collected by the board,” she said. I am willing to work with and help clubs should they wish to stream club games. In fact there are a number of avenues of fundraising we can explore, both inside and outside the county.

“Donegal is a strong football county, although as someone with strong hurling connections, I would make it a priority to give more exposure for both the clubs and county team. I will put my very best foot forward for CLG Dún na nGall. I have spoken to several people who would form part of a Marketing and PR team and should I be elected, I am delighted that outgoing PRO, John McEniff will come on board in support.

“As always for any PRO the work on the new website will see a priority given to the fixtures and results page and I have ideas about a Le Cheile Dun nan Gall and hope to work closely with the County Cisteoir to ensure we can raise much needed funds through Donegal social media platforms.

“If elected, I know I have big boots to fill and can bring new ideas to the role. I would love to serve the clubs of Donegal as their PRO and hope to be given the opportunity to serve them having been a club officer and county board delegate. I would like to ensure clubs play a role in steering the PR of Donegal GAA in the years to come.”

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