Ex-head of GAA in Tyrone sues radio station over email row

THE first woman to chair a GAA county board has instigated legal action against a radio station in the Republic over an anonymous email that was read out on air.

The move is being taken by Roisin Jordan, who was chairwoman of the Tyrone County Board from 2014 to 2017.

It relates to February 2017, when Newstalk’s Off The Ball programme quoted the email, which complained about the county board, according to the Sunday Times. The Dublin-based station said it came from a Tyrone player who made certain allegations against the board. is properly applied to GAA purposes,” she said.

She insisted that any major decisions involving funding or curbing expenditure in relation to county teams will ultimately be taken by the Tyrone County committee “and not individuals or private emails exchanged between individuals”.

Ms Jordan was elected in what was expected to be a five-year term. Instead, she was replaced in December by Michael Kerr after a vote at the Tyrone County Board AGM.

At that time Ms Jordan told delegates she believed people with “sinister intent” were behind the anonymous email sent to the radio programme.

She also said she believed she always acted in the best interests of Tyrone GAA, with honesty and to the best of her ability, and that she was prepared to stand over any decisions she had made.

The Tyrone County Board is understood to be fully supportive of Ms Jordan in her legal action, believing the email was not from any player, but may have come from someone involved in GAA administration instead.

It is understood the action is being taken against News 106, Newstalk’s holding company, in the Dublin High Court.

Newstalk did not respond to a request for comment.

Roisin Jordan was the first woman to head a GAA county board