Former Leinster chairman Liam O'Neill will become GAA president next April, following his official election in Mullingar this evening. INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan
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O'Neill officially elected next GAA president
Laoisman Liam O’Neill is unopposed in the election for the GAA’s highest office, and will begin his three-year term next Easter.
LAOIS NATIVE LIAM O’Neill has been officially elected the 37th president of the Gaelic Athletic Association, after this year’s GAA Congress in Mullingar saw him uncontested for the position.
O’Neill, a native of the Trumera club, was the only surviving candidate from the four who originally submitted their names, and was therefore declared elected when the deadline for nominations passed without any last-minute candidacies.
O’Neill will take up office at Congress a year from now, when current president Christy Cooney’s three-year tenure comes to a close.
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O’Neill’s candidacy was proposed by Laois county chairman Brian Allen, also of the Trumera club and a near neighbour of the new President-Elect.
A former Leinster GAA chairman, O’Neill also served as the chairman of the disciplinary taskforce that proposed a significant number of amendments to the games’ playing rules in previous years, including the aborted system of compulsory substitutions for players receiving yellow cards.
O’Neill, a teacher by profession, has been principal of the Gael Scoil in Trumera since 1981 – a role held by his father, also Liam, for 40 years before him. He has been involved in GAA administration for 36 years, beginning as secretary of UCD Hurling Club before going on to serve in roles at club, county, provincial and national levels.
O’Neill becomes the second Laois man to become president of the association; the first was Bob O’Keeffe, who led the association between 1935 and 1938.
This year’s presidential election was the first in decades to be uncontested; Sheamus Howlin, Con Hogan and Tom Daly had previously declared their interest, but all had withdrawn in recent months.
In other business on Congress’s opening night, the GAA’s finance director Tom Ryan unveiled the association’s annual accounts – which showed overall income at €58m for the 2010 calendar year, a figure down by €10m on 2009.
That drop can be entirely attributed to the rental of Croke Park by other sports, which brought in €17m in 2009 but just €7m in 2010 given the return of international rugby and soccer to the Aviva Stadium last summer, and the absence of any competitive soccer matches in the spring.
Ryan told delegates he saw 2010 as a “positive year” despite the turbulent economic times; attendances to matches had held up well and income from gate receipts had fallen only marginally, primarily due to the increased take-up of season tickets and other similar offers.
O'Neill officially elected next GAA president
LAOIS NATIVE LIAM O’Neill has been officially elected the 37th president of the Gaelic Athletic Association, after this year’s GAA Congress in Mullingar saw him uncontested for the position.
O’Neill, a native of the Trumera club, was the only surviving candidate from the four who originally submitted their names, and was therefore declared elected when the deadline for nominations passed without any last-minute candidacies.
O’Neill will take up office at Congress a year from now, when current president Christy Cooney’s three-year tenure comes to a close.
O’Neill’s candidacy was proposed by Laois county chairman Brian Allen, also of the Trumera club and a near neighbour of the new President-Elect.
A former Leinster GAA chairman, O’Neill also served as the chairman of the disciplinary taskforce that proposed a significant number of amendments to the games’ playing rules in previous years, including the aborted system of compulsory substitutions for players receiving yellow cards.
O’Neill, a teacher by profession, has been principal of the Gael Scoil in Trumera since 1981 – a role held by his father, also Liam, for 40 years before him. He has been involved in GAA administration for 36 years, beginning as secretary of UCD Hurling Club before going on to serve in roles at club, county, provincial and national levels.
O’Neill becomes the second Laois man to become president of the association; the first was Bob O’Keeffe, who led the association between 1935 and 1938.
This year’s presidential election was the first in decades to be uncontested; Sheamus Howlin, Con Hogan and Tom Daly had previously declared their interest, but all had withdrawn in recent months.
In other business on Congress’s opening night, the GAA’s finance director Tom Ryan unveiled the association’s annual accounts – which showed overall income at €58m for the 2010 calendar year, a figure down by €10m on 2009.
That drop can be entirely attributed to the rental of Croke Park by other sports, which brought in €17m in 2009 but just €7m in 2010 given the return of international rugby and soccer to the Aviva Stadium last summer, and the absence of any competitive soccer matches in the spring.
Ryan told delegates he saw 2010 as a “positive year” despite the turbulent economic times; attendances to matches had held up well and income from gate receipts had fallen only marginally, primarily due to the increased take-up of season tickets and other similar offers.
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Christy Cooney GAA GAA Congress Liam O'Neill Tom Ryan Trumera UCD