Teehan bidding to become second Offaly man to be elected GAA President

COOLDERRY'S Pat Teehan will be bidding to become the second Offaly man elected as President of the GAA when the Presidential election is held on the opening night of GAA Congress next weekend.

Tullamore's John Dowling is the only Offaly man to have held the top role in the GAA having served his three year term from 1988.

Mr Teehan is one of a three man field aiming to succeed Larry McCarthy as President in 2024. Whoever is elected on Friday night will assume the role of President-Elect for the next 12 months and will take over as President at next year's Congress.

Along with Pat Teehan, there are two other candidates in the race, Armagh's Jarlath Burns and Donegal's Niall Erskine.

Congress is being held at Croke Park and will open on Friday. Ballot papers for the election of the President are scheduled to be distributed at 7.40pm and the announcement of the result of the ballot is expected about 9.45pm, which will be followed by an address by the new President Elect.

Former Armagh footballer Jarlath Burns was a candidate in the last election three years ago. Many regarded him as the front runner on that occasion but he was narrowly defeated by Larry McCarthy. He is probably regarded as the front runner again but after the last time, nothing can be taken for granted. Burns actually topped the poll after the first count in that election in 2020 but transfers fell for McCarthy as he was elected 142-132 in a head to head.

Niall Erskine was nominated by the Donegal County Board and is probably considered the outsider. Chairman of the GAA's World Council, he has served as a GAA trustee and Donegal's Central Council delegate in the past. The fact that two of the candidates are from Ulster could split the vote from that province and could be considered a factor to favour Pat Teehan.
The Offaly man was nominated by the Offaly County Board at the end of last October. He has just completed a three year term as Chairman of the Leinster Council and the natural progression would be to challenge for the Presidency.

Teehan has given a life time of service to the GAA. After moving back to Offaly from Dublin in the early 1990s, he became Offaly GAA PRO in 1991. He was also elected secretary of Coolderry GAA Club the same year and it was the start of over 30 years of unbroken adminstrative roles. A brilliant PRO, he served five years as Offaly GAA chairman and was also Bord na nOg chairman. He served Offaly GAA as Central and Leinster Council delegates, vice chairman and Referees' Adminstrator.
He has also developed a significant national and provincial profile. He was first elected as PRO of Leinster Council and then had a stunning triumph to become chairman, taking up office in 2020. He has worked on several national committees, appointed by a succession of Presidents and this experience has served him well.

Over the last number of months he has been travelling around the country, visiting other counties in a bid to garner support for his bid to become President and Friday night will reveal how successful that has been. He may not go into this contest as the favourite to be elected but he certainly can't be ruled out and it would be a huge honour if he was to follow in the footsteps of John Dowling and take the top role in the GAA.