Every seems to keep arguing with each other and forgetting the matter at hand. The way I see it is Comhaltas were wrong in their actions. Clontarf were 2million short of the money needed for the centre but Comhaltas only gave them 5 weeks to come up with it. How would that be possible for anyone? They are normal people with everydayjobs. How can they come up with that amount of money in that space of time.

Comhaltas say that they were contacted everyday by the builders (or contractors not quite sure) for god knows how long about getting paid. Thus comes the five week notice.

This along with the VAT refund is being used as an excuse by Comhaltas. They are using their building in Monkstown as collateral for payment as well because they know how valuable Clasac would be for them. They see it as their new Croke Park, a prime northside location and much more viable than Monkstown which takes ages to get to. This is all an issue of control, not about paying off Clasac. Comhaltas could very easily pay off the debt but they wont for the sake of covering their footsteps. CCE were given something like 6million from the government last year, and then you have the profit they made which reached up to 3million last year. CCE is modelled on th GAA but unlike them you dont see the money being pumped back into the music.

I also found out recently that the Dublin County Council gave the land to Clontarf under the basis it was a charity, maybe they didnt use that name. Normally the lease would have costed E200,000 a year but because they gave it to Clontarf branch they said pay only E1,500 a year. great, but now the tricky thing is is that now that Comhaltas has taken it they have to pay E200,000 every year for the lease because they are not listed as a charity. It will be interesting to see if they back out now that they now that. and again they may use Monkstown as collateral because they want to move (also they could easily get upwards of 20 million for that place.)

As for handling the situation. Ive been in contact with many people who attended the meeting between CCE and Clontarf. They said that the issue could easily have been sorted at those meetings but for the arrogance and disrespect shown by Labhras O'Murchu. Sources tell me that he was very patronising and proclaimed that the centre could not be run without the control of Comhaltas. The reason why it still has not been resolved is because of the stubborness of Labhras and the Ard Comhairle. The issue could easily have been sorted in one meeting. The reason for this goes back to control and moving CCE hq to the northside, hence Clasac.

Instead of trying to resolve the issue CCE dissolved Clontarf for no reason, not content with taking Clasac from them they had to disband the branch. What good will that do? The new replacement 'Craobh Cluain Tarbh' branch has no members, so what is the point of it being there. That is just another embarrassing move by CCE. Clontarf were dissolved for the sole reason of CCE being able to take Clasac, not to pay off the debts or to 'help' the branch. At the concert the other night for Clontarf they raised enough money I was told to pay for the insurance to run the classes and they did so on saturday in a school, and everyone turned up to show solidarity. And the concert itself was great, I have the feeling that CCE wouldn't have a chance of getting some of the big names that Clontarf had on show that night.

It doesn't matter whether you think that Clontarf should have come up with the money or a better way of raising it, it is the actions of Comhaltas that are disgraceful. They don't make any sense, dissolving the largest and one of the most successful branches in Ireland? Maybe they were afraid that if they were kept in Comhaltas that they would become too powerful within the organisation, coupled with the Clasac they could be extremely proactive, maybe more so than Comhaltas. The fact that CCE choose to tell them this through Joe Duffy and the fact that they havn't publicy made any statements apart from useless press releases shows bad PR, bad management and leadership and terrible communication not just with the public but within CCE itself. I've seen someone who works in Comhaltas making comments about their side of the story on this site and other comment sites but this is worthless. What is the point of communicating with people through some worker who has no authority for PR and representing CCE and by the means of COMMENTING PAGES! this is worthless stuff, CCE needs to come forward publicly. It is the children they are punishing, the parents only run the Clontarf branch it is the children who play in the competitions and make the branch what it is, dissolving the branch only betrays them. This approach was hot-headed and a 'digging-our-heels-in' effort by Comhaltas and the sooner this is resolved on the side of Clontarf the better.

And if people are wondering what I am basing all of this on (I dont know why people are so picky on these sites) I played in the concert for clontarf and I study journalism so i'd like think I can whip up a few facts seeing as it is what I do most days in college. This is a non biased view because the facts are plain to see and if no-one can see that well...I dont know! god help ye! haha!

cheers.