Three Mayo GAA officials in race for two Connacht Council seats

By Aiden Henry

The 2025 Mayo GAA annual convention will take place on Sunday next in the Park Hotel, Kiltimagh, at 12 noon.

While the chairman, secretary and treasurer's annual reports usually take centre stage, the election of a new officer(s) can interest most delegates attending the convention.

However, on this occasion, there will be only one election, which is to elect the two Connacht Council delegates.

Indeed, it will only take one vote to decide the outcome of this election as just three candidates are going for the two positions.

The three are outgoing communications officer John Walker, current Connacht Council delegate Liam Moffatt and former county board chairman Paddy McNicholas.

It goes without saying that all three candidates will have their supporters.

However, the odds-on favourite to secure one of the two spots is John Walker.

The word on the ground is that the Cill Chomain man will receive votes from most clubs across the county due to his outstanding work as the county board communications officer for the past five years.

It was here that he had the interests of every club, both hurling and Gaelic football, at heart. To give him his due, he never let an occasion pass to promote the clubs.

Time and time again, he was never far away when clubs were doing promotions or when teams were preparing to represent the county in inter-county club championships he endeavoured to hold press nights to promote them.

There was no doubt his job as communications officer was never easy as he tried to keep everybody happy.

Dealing with county management teams and the press was at times tough as he tried to keep everyone on board.

Yet, while he was curtailed in what information he was told or allowed to give reporters, he always came back with answers to queries, be they positive or negative.

It must also be noted that Walker's work didn’t stop solely at the PRO level; he was involved in bringing in much-needed funds to the board with his involvement in the successful county board lotto and the streaming of live club championship games.

Indeed, such has been the great success of streaming club games this year that he doubled the intake of funds on the 2024 figure, to the tune of €250,000.

On top of that, he worked tirelessly to get games streamlined from most clubs in the county.

All in all, it would be a massive loss to the county if Walker is not elected.

The other two candidates, Paddy McNicholas and Liam Moffatt, have also served the county with distinction.

However, Moffatt, who is currently on the Connacht Council as Mayo delegate, is expected to hold his spot when the votes are counted.