Mayo GAA ballot saga is up in the air again

THE planned Mayo GAA special convention next Monday to hold a new vote to select Mayo's two Connacht Council delegates is up in the air again, The Connaught Telegraph has learned.

At the original convention in Belmullet on December 15, there was an error in the counting of votes for the posts.

Bonniconlon's Vincent Neary was elected after the first count and, following the second and third counts, Ardnaree's Johnny O'Malley was deemed elected.

However, it was subsequently found there was a mistake which resulted in The Neale's Johnny Hopkins losing out for the second position.

Since then a number of meetings have taken place and, at the last county board meeting, it was decided to hold a special convention to hold an entirely new ballot.

Now Mr. O'Malley has been successful in an appeal to the Connacht Council over the decision to hold the vote for a second time.

His appeal, it is understood, was based on the fact that the original result had not been challenged by the contenders who lost out, the aforementioned John Hopkins and Ger McHugh.

As of now, the special Mayo GAA Convention is still going ahead on Monday night at 7.30 p.m. in Breaffy House Hotel.

However, a new vote is unlikely to proceed as a result of the latest development.