While it was a big weekend on the playing fields for Sligo’s GAA teams
with both the county’s senior hurlers and senior footballers winning their
games against Louth and Antrim respectively, it was also a big weekend in the
board room with Sligo GAA executives picking up two prestigious national roles
at the GAA’s Annual Congress which was held in Newry Co. Down,
The Congress saw the election of a new GAA president in Armagh's Jarlath
Burns but it also saw two long standing Sligo GAA volunteers take on two very
senior national roles in the organisation.
John Murphy from Tubbercurry won the election to be elected as a Representative
of Congress and Trustee of the Association when he defeated Cavan’s Tom Reilly
by 147 votes to 118..
John comes from a family steeped in their contributions to the GAA in
Tubbercurry, in Sligo in Connacht and indeed in clubs in Dublin and London
also.
John himself had a distinguished intercounty playing career. While still a
student he was part of Sligo’s Sligo Connacht senior championship side of 1975
and after his playing days he went on to serve as a selector for the county
senior team before he entered the board room where he served in a number of
roles up to and including Chair. He subsequently represented Sligo at Connacht
Council level where he served as President for 2022 /23.
Bernardine McGauran from the Calry St Joseph's club has been appointed to the
Central Competitions Controls Committee (CCCC) by the new President. The CCCC
is the committee that is responsible for scheduling and arranging all games
under the control of the GAA’s Central Council – all national league and
championship games. It is also responsible for discipline within those games
and receives and makes the initial response to referees' match reports at
national level.
Bernardine also comes from a family that has a long association with
their club, with Sligo and with Markievicz Park where her father Brian Snr. Has
been a committee member for many years.
Bernardine served as Cultural Officer, Assistant Secretary and then
Secretary to the Sligo County Committee. She was the first woman to fulfill
that role and is now a flag bearer for Sligo at a national level.