Major appointments for two Mayo GAA stalwarts

THE new president of the GAA, Larry McCarthy, wasted no time in making major appointments after taking over the top position in the association.

McCarthy, who is a native of Cork but has spent most of his life in the US where he was heavily involved with New York GAA, took over the reins from outgoing president John Horan at Congress, which was held over last weekend.

The new president went straight to action, making a number of big appointments – including the appointment of chairpersons of three major GAA committees.

He appointed Derek Kent chair of the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC), Brian Rennick chair of the Central Hearings Committee, and Matt Shaw chair of the Central Appeals Committee.

From a Mayo point of view, the county will have a representative in two of these prestigious and high profile committees, the Central Appeals Committee and Central Hearings Committee.

Joining Rennick on the Central Hearings Committee will be Mayo’s Tod O’Mahony along with Aoife Farrelly (Meath), Micheál Óg McMahon (Monaghan), Denis Holmes (Limerick), Gerry Hagan (Longford), Seán Dunnion (Donegal), Gerry Larkin (Galway) and Michael Wadding (Waterford).

Meanwhile, on Shaw's committee will be Mayo’s Neil Sheridan in addition to Julie Galbraith (Donegal), Willie O'Connor (Kerry), Tom Farrell (Westmeath), Eddie Hughes (Armagh), Paul Foley (Limerick), Gerry Kavanagh (Laois) and Enda Tiernan (Leitrim).

Sheridan, who is a staff member of Mayo County Council, has had a long association with the GAA and especially his hometown club, Balla.

He is also a brother of the recently appointed Mayo Under 20 Gaelic football manager Maurice. Meanwhile, solicitor Tod O’Mahony has an association with Kiltimagh GAA Club going back some time and is well known in Mayo GAA circles, having worked on different committees with the county board.

As well as Kent, the CCCC consists of Martin McHugh (Donegal), John Halbert (Cork), Mary Judge (Galway) and Séamus Kenny (Meath)

It is worth noting that the new president stated in his first address that there would be a strong female presence on his committees.

Evidence of this was the appointment by McCarthy of Judge, Farrelly and Galbraith in Kent's, Rennick’s and Shaw's committees, respectively.