The Annual General Meeting of the Munster Cricket Union was held at the Kingsley Hotel Cork on Sunday 22nd March 2026.
⦁ Chairperson’s Report 2025
Welcome to the Annual General Meeting of the Munster Cricket Union CLG. With almost all of our clubs now in pre-season preparation ahead of the return of club cricket in the upcoming weeks, this AGM provides an opportunity to briefly reflect on the events of the 2025 season and share some key developments which will impact the future of the game in Munster.
Firstly, I would like to congratulate the two MCU clubs who reached Senior All-Ireland finals last year with County Kerry C.C. participating in the National Cup final and Cork County C.C. competing in the AI T20 Cup final. While both clubs returned home with runners-up medals, their achievements in reaching the finals should not be overlooked and underlines the ability of MCU clubs to successfully compete in national competitions. The other highlight of the year from a national competitions perspective was the memorable U17 victory over the Northern Cricket Union. One-off wins can be overlooked on occasion but this victory should not be. It was a testament to the hard work put in by the coaches, parents and most importantly the players. Performances at interprovincial level are becoming increasingly important from a development opportunities perspective and this win highlights the volume of raw talent playing cricket in Munster and the need for further investment.
Unfortunately, we have also had some setbacks as a Union this year. Our Munster Heat side, competing in the CI Emerging Series, suffered some chastening defeats against top quality opposition. While challenging in the short term, consistent exposure to competitive cricket against current international players will only serve to strengthen Munster Cricket in the long run. Player development has been identified as a key focus area for Cricket Ireland and the MCU will continue to engage proactively with our governing body to ensure that this is achieved.
Other on-field activities are covered comprehensively in the report from the Operations Committee but I would like to take an opportunity to highlight the activities of the Women & Girls Committee and to thank them for their efforts. Increasing the level of female participation in cricket in Munster has been a challenge but from an existing low base, the W&G Committee, with the support of the clubs, have made great strides. The incoming MCU Board will continue to support their work, with the ultimate goal being to enter a female representative side in CI competitions.
Cricket Ireland formally announced this week that the Munster Reds (along with the Scorchers in the female competition) will not participate in the IP competitions in 2026. The Board was first informed of this decision in late 2025 and engaged continuously with CI over the winter to work through the ramifications of this change. While it is disappointing from a financial and visibility perspective, this restructure provides Munster Cricket with the opportunity to refocus on the domestic game, player development and infrastructure improvements. The Board has successfully negotiated an increased volume of fixtures for the Munster Heat and other MCU representative sides as well as agreeing a support package from CI which will facilitate more cricket. Furthermore, the removal of the Munster Reds has facilitated a full time Pathway Manager role. Munster Cricket, with the support of Cricket Ireland was delighted to recently announce Jeremy Bray as the successful candidate for this position. I would like to echo the congratulations of my fellow Board members and wish Jeremy all the very best in his new role. In the short time he has been with us, Jeremy has proven to be a positive, collaborative and popular coach and has been well received by the players across our representative teams.
The 2026 season and the years beyond will doubtless provide challenges and opportunities for Munster Cricket. A new Cricket Ireland funding model with KPI based incremental funding is imminent and will focus attention on particular areas of our game, specifically player development. The requirement to produce players capable of representing Ireland in the future has been very clearly communicated to the Union and it will be a key focus area for the incoming Board. Supporting our clubs in everything that they do will be our other key strand, with further club meetings to be scheduled during the early portion of the season.
Finally, I wish to thank my fellow Board members, the MCU staff, the members of all of the sub-committees and all of those who support and develop cricket in our province. I look forward to seeing you all around the grounds come April.
-Kevin O’Sullivan
Munster Cricket Union Chairperson
