President of the Gaelic Athletic Association

The president of the Gaelic Athletic Association (Irish: Uachtarán Cumann Lúthchleas Gael)[1] is the head of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).

The president holds office for three years. The role of president has existed since the foundation of the GAA. The president of the GAA is one of the leading figures in civil society in Ireland, as the association has around one million members and is present in every parish in the country. The role of president involves representing the GAA in Ireland and across the world. Former presidents of the GAA have a key role within the GAA, sitting on the motions committee which rules if motions to the annual Congress are in order. They also have become known for other roles such as Seán Kelly, who is now an MEP.

The president travels across Ireland and the world to promote the organisation and attend games; former President Nickey Brennan travelled 160,000 miles in Ireland alone during his three years as president, and visited Great Britain, Europe, North America, Asia, Australia and the Middle East on several occasions, meeting dignitaries such as New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg along the way.[2]

The current president is Larry McCarthy, installed at the 2021 GAA Congress. Jarlath Burns, the former Armagh captain and TV Gaelic Football analyst is the new President-elect. Jarlath from Silverbridge in South Armagh is headteacher at St Paul's Bessbrook. He is a fluent Irish speaker and formerly worked on the Eames Bradley project which aimed to settle legacy issues relating to victims in Northern Ireland. Burns will take office as GAA president in 2024.

Selection

The president is elected at Annual Congress. He then serves as -elect for one year.

History

In 1981, John Kerry O'Donnell became the first overseas member of the GAA to run for president.[3]

In 2020, Larry McCarthy became the first overseas member of the GAA to be elected as president.[3]

List of presidents of the Gaelic Athletic Association
No. Portrait Name
(birth–death)		 Name in Irish Term of office County
1.
Maurice Davin Portrait.png
 Maurice Davin
(29 June 1842 – 27 January 1927)		 1884 1887 Tipperary
2. Edward Bennet
(1845 – 24 November 1910)		 1887 1888 Clare
—
Maurice Davin Portrait.png
 Maurice Davin
(29 June 1842 – 27 January 1927)
(2nd term)		 1888 1889 Tipperary
3. Peter Kelly
(1847 – 7 April 1908)		 1889 1895 Galway
4.
Frank Dineen.jpg
 Frank Dineen
(1862 – 18 April 1916)		 1895 1898 Limerick
5. Michael Deering
(1858 – 25 March 1901)		 1898 1901 Cork
6.
Alderman James Nowlan GAA President 1901 - 1921.jpg
 James Nowlan
(1862 – June 1924)		 1901 1921 Kilkenny
7.
Daniel McCarthy, 1921.jpg
 Daniel McCarthy
(22 January 1883 – 2 March 1957)		 1921 1924 Dublin
8. Patrick Breen
(? – ?)		 1924 1926 Wexford
9. Liam Clifford
(27 June 1876 – 24 February 1949)		 1926 1928 Limerick
10. Seán Ryan
(1895 – 7 March 1963)		 1928 1932 Tipperary
11. Seán McCarthy
(1889 – 14 March 1974)		 1932 1935 Cork
12. Bob O'Keeffe
(16 August 1880 – 1949)		 1935 1938 Laois
13. Pádraig MacNamee
(1896 – 1975)		 1938 1943 Antrim
14. Séamus Gardiner
(1894 – 10 January 1976)		 1943 1946 Clare
15. Daniel O'Rourke
(? – 4 August 1968)		 1946 1949 Roscommon
16. Michael Kehoe
(22 June 1899 – 8 January 1977)[4]		 1949 1952 Wexford
17. Vincent O'Donoghue
(18 May 1900 – 29 May 1972)		 1952 1955 Galway
18. Séamus McFerran
(10 January 1916 – 31 August 1978)		 1955 1958 Antrim
19. Joseph Stuart
(9 June 1904 – 21 March 1980)		 1958 1961 Clare
20. Aodh Ó Broin
(? – 3 July 1993)[5]		 Aodh Ó Broin 1961 1964 Wicklow
21. Alf Murray
(25 December 1915 – 12 March 1999)		 Alf Ó Muirí 1964 1967 Armagh
22. Séamus Ó Riain
(2 April 1916 – 27 January 2007)		 Séamus Ó Riain 1967 1970 Tipperary
23. Pat Fanning
(25 August 1918 – 14 March 2010)		 Pádraig Ó Fainín 1970 1973 Waterford
24. Donal Keenan
(1919 – 19 September 1990)		 Donal Ó Cianáin 1973 1976 Roscommon
25. Con Murphy
(28 October 1922 – 29 April 2007)		 Conchur Ó Murchú 1976 1979 Cork
26. Paddy McFlynn
(1918 – 24 September 2013)		 Pádraig Mac Floinn 1979 1982 Down
27. Paddy Buggy
(15 March 1929 – 15 May 2013)		 Páidí Ó Bogaigh 1982 1985 Kilkenny
28. Dr Mick Loftus
(born 9 August 1929)		 Micheál Ó Lochláin 1985 1988 Mayo
29. John Dowling
(18 November 1931 – 9 February 2002)[6]		 1988 1991 Offaly
30. Peter Quinn
(born 1944)		 1991 1994 Fermanagh
31. Jack Boothman
(12 October 1935 – 10 May 2016)[7]		 1994 1997 Wicklow
32. Joe McDonagh
(1953 – 20 May 2016)		 Seosamh Mac Donnchadha 1997 2000 Galway
33. Seán McCague
(1944 or 1945 – 24 November 2022)		 2000 2003 Monaghan
34.
Kelly, Seán-9813.jpg
 Seán Kelly
(born 26 April 1952)		 2003 2006 Kerry
35. Nickey Brennan
(born 3 December 1953)		 Nioclás Ó Braonáin 2006[8] 2009 Kilkenny
36. Christy Cooney
(born 1952)		 Críostóir Ó Cuana[9] 2009[10] 2012 Cork
37. Liam O'Neill
(born ?)		 2012[11][12] 2015 Laois
38. Aogán Ó Fearghail
(born 1959)		 Aogán Ó Fearghail 2015[13] 2018 Cavan
39.
John Horan, June 2018 (cropped).jpg
 John Horan
(born 1958)		 Seán Ó hÓráin[14] 2018[15] 2021 Dublin
40
Larry McCarthy 2022.jpg
 Larry McCarthy
(born 1954)		 Labhrás Mac Carthaigh[16] 2021 present New York

Births and deaths

The following presidents (listed chronologically from their term in office) are missing dates of birth and/or death in the list above: Edward Bennet (birth), Peter Kelly (birth), Frank Dineen (birth), Michael Deering (birth), James Nowlan (birth), Patrick Breen (birth/death), Seán Ryan (birth), Seán McCarthy (birth), Bob O'Keeffe (death), Pádraig MacNamee (birth/death), Séamus Gardiner (birth), Dan O'Rourke (birth), Aodh Ó Broin (birth), Donal Keenan (birth), Paddy McFlynn (birth), Peter Quinn (birth), Joe McDonagh (birth), Seán McCague (birth), Christy Cooney (birth), Liam O'Neill (birth), Aogán Ó Fearghail (birth), John Horan (birth), Larry McCarthy (birth).

President's Awards

Seán Kelly introduced the President's Awards.

They are awarded annually.[17][18]

Player–presidents

Donal Keenan, Con Murphy, Paddy Buggy and Nickey Brennan all won All-Ireland medals as players before becoming president.

John Dowling was with the Tullamore club as a dual player, but at inter-county level his involvement was more as a referee, officiating in five All-Ireland finals.[19]

Peter Quinn played for Teemore in Fermanagh, winning a Junior Football Championship. However, his only involvement with the Fermanagh seniors was in the Dr Lagan Cup and some challenge matches; he was never even included in a championship panel.[19]

Seán McCague played junior club football for most of the time but at inter-county level he was a manager.[19]

Jack Boothman played for the Blessington club.[19]

Liam O'Neill played with the Trumera club at junior level, though featured at senior level on hurling teams while studying at St Pat's and UCD.[19]

Aogán Ó Fearghail played locally for 12 years but won no championship games.[19]

John Horan played for Na Fianna in his late twenties.[19]

The highlight of Larry McCarthy's playing career was winning the 1977–78 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship with Thomond College.[19]

Statistics
  • ? was the oldest president to enter office, aged ?.
  • ? was the oldest president to leave office, aged ?.
  • Seán Ryan was the youngest president to enter office, aged ?.
  • ? was the youngest president to leave office, aged ?.
  • ?, who died in office, had the shortest presidency of ? days.
  • ?, who resigned, served for ? days.
  • Maurice Davin uniquely served for two terms.
  • James Nowlan is the longest-serving.
  • Pat Fanning was the former president to have survived the longest after serving.[20]
  • Michael Deering was the only president to die in office.
  • Only twice have there been consecutive presidents from the same province: Joseph Stuart (1958) and Aodh Ó Broin (1961) of Leinster and Séamus Ó Riain (1967) and Pat Fanning (1970) of Munster.[21]
  • Leinster had three consecutive presidents from different counties (Kilkenny, Dublin, Wexford) between 1901 and 1926.
  • Munster then had three consecutive presidents from different counties (Limerick, Tipperary, Cork) between 1926 and 1935.
  • Five of the seven Ulster presidents came from north of the border.[22] The other two were Seán McCague (Monaghan) and Aogán Ó Fearghail (Cavan).
By county
  • The following counties have had multiple presidents:
# County Presidents
4 Cork Christy Cooney, Michael Deering, Seán McCarthy, Con Murphy
3 Clare Edward Bennet, Séamus Gardiner, Joseph Stuart
Galway Peter Kelly, Joe McDonagh, Vincent O'Donoghue
Kilkenny Nickey Brennan, Paddy Buggy, James Nowlan
Tipperary Maurice Davin, Séamus Ó Riain, Seán Ryan
2 Antrim Séamus McFerran, Pádraig MacNamee
Dublin John Horan, Daniel McCarthy
Laois Bob O'Keeffe, Liam O'Neill
Limerick Liam Clifford, Frank Dineen
Roscommon Donal Keenan, Dan O'Rourke
Wicklow Jack Boothman, Aodh Ó Broin
By province
Province Presidents Top county Most recent
1 Munster Munster 14 Cork (4) Christy Cooney (Cork)
2 Leinster Leinster 12 Kilkenny (3) John Horan (Dublin)
3 Ulster Ulster 7 Antrim (2) Aogán Ó Fearghail (Cavan)
4 Connacht Connacht 6 Galway (3) Joe McDonagh (Galway)
5 Overseas 1 New York (1) Larry McCarthy (New York)

References
  1. "Uachtarán". John Horan became the first native Dubliner to be elected Uachtarán Cumann Lúthchleas Gael in almost 100 years when he assumed office in February of 2018.
  2. "From Slieverue to Sydney and all places in between, the President probably got there". Kilkenny People. 20 May 2009. Archived from the original on 3 June 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
  3. "Cork-born Larry McCarthy becomes GAA's first overseas member to be elected president". Irish Examiner. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  4. Kelleher, Humphrey (2013). GAA Family Silver. Sportsfile Publishing. pp. 154–155. ISBN 978-1-905468-24-9. Archived from the original on 10 October 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  5. "Passing Of A President". Nationalist and Leinster Times. 9 July 1993.
  6. "Former GAA president, player and prominent referee". The Irish Times. 16 February 2002. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  7. Jack Boothman: first Protestant president of the GAA
  8. President-elect Brennan promises to proceed with 'considerable caution'
  9. "2010 GAA Golf Legends All-Ireland Charity Golf". Hogan Stand. 25 February 2010.
  10. Cooney to be next GAA President
  11. O'Neill confirmed as president-elect of the GAA
  12. Liam O'Neill's rise to GAA President was an appointment 30 years in the making
  13. Cavan's Aogán Ó'Fearghail will be next GAA president
  14. Seanad Éireann debate - Tuesday, 29 Jan 2019: Vol. 263 No. 5
  15. "New GAA President Horan warns against threat of 'elitism'". Irish Independent. 24 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  16. "McCarthy: Let's provide underage players with as many games as possible". Hogan Stand. 24 April 2021.
  17. "GAA President's Award winners announced". Hogan Stand. 26 February 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  18. "Two Donegal men scoop GAA President's Awards". Donegal News. 26 February 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  19. "Performance in office not always preceded by performance on pitch: Some presidents had stellar playing careers, others not so much". Sunday Independent. 28 February 2021.
  20. Seán Moran (15 March 2010). "Death of former president". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 March 2010. He was the longest-surviving ex-president, having served in office between 1970 and 1973.
  21. Eugene McGee (15 January 2008). "Election year wheeling and dealing is about to begin". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 March 2010. Of the last 20 GAA presidents seven were from Leinster, five each from Ulster and Munster and three from Connacht and on only two occasions did a province produce successive presidents. These were Dr Joe Stuart (1958) and Hugh Byrne (1961) from Leinster, and Seamus Ryan (1967) and Pat Fanning (1970) from Munster. Rather amazingly, Munster went 27 years without a president prior to Sean Kelly's election in 2003.
  22. "Jarlath Burns: I'm not bitter or even disappointed at losing GAA president's race". The Irish News. 2 March 2020. In the history of the GAA there have been just five presidents out of 40 from the six counties: Padraig McNamee and Seamus McFerran from Antrim, Alf Murray (Armagh), Down's Paddy McFlynn and, most recently, Fermanagh's Peter Quinn (1991–94).
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