BREAKING BALL: BATTLES FOR TOP TABLE AT POINT TO A NEW ORDER
High-profile candidates’ bid for office in Mayo, Offaly and Galway will test appetite for change
THERE is something of an anomaly about describing Michael Duignan as an ‘outsider’ in a GAA context. A two-time All-Ireland hurling medal winner who played both codes for Offaly, he is a familiar face and voice that has spoken to TV audiences for almost two decades as anchor co-commentator and analyst on RTÉ’s flagship ‘Sunday Game Live’.
Beyond that, there has been immersion in fundraising for the O’Connor Park redevelopment in Tullamore and the Faithful Fields project in Kilcormac that is providing a home for county teams as the centre of excellence.
As chairman and coach of Ballinamere-Durrow minor club, progress has been notable. But how does that measure up when it comes to contesting the position of county chairman?
Duignan may have the profile, the communication skills, the ideas, the concepts, the sense of something new, backing from some equally high-profile figures in the county and even public approval. But does he have the support where it matters most, not even from the clubs, all 41 of which he has sat down with in recent weeks, but those delegates who will file into O’Connor Park tonight for a convention and outcome that should perfectly encapsulate the nature of GAA politics, not just in Offaly but countrywide?
In opposition is the incumbent Tommy Byrne, who is seeking a fourth year, having served as chairman for two years in the middle of the last decade, prior to being the county secretary.
His times in charge have been turbulent, most recently with the county’s demise as a hurling force accelerating over the last three years.
When an Offaly hurling review/ implementation group resigned en bloc in 2017, dismayed at the lack of implementation for their plans, Byrne came in for strong criticism from the chairman of that group, Liam Hogan, who suggested he should stand down.
Since then, some elements of the report have been implemented and there have been signs of green shoots on the football front. In terms of work-rate, Byrne’s couldn’t be faulted. Board work has almost become a way of life, mirrored elsewhere in what is, undoubtedly, the Association’s most onerous role. Duignan isn’t just bringing himself, though, he’s a bringing a team if votes fall their way in the contests for vice-chairman, treasurer and Leinster Council delegate.
His challenge to Byrne should provide an insight further afield to other ‘trouble spots,’ Mayo and Galway especially, where similar contests between ‘town hall’ candidates, those who have worked their way up through the various administrative layers, and agents for change are taking place. It’s a fascinating dynamic ready to play out.
Galway GAA has been immersed in financial turmoil in recent years with two reports focusing on their accounts. In recent months the county’s long-established sponsor Supermac’s have raised questions about the Galway’s finances and have sought clarification on where their money was spent.
The financial irregularities predated the current chairman Pat Kearney – like Byrne seeking a fourth year in charge – but there are still reverberations as they try to get to the bottom of it all that could, coupled with Micheál Donoghue’s departure as hurling
boss and an inference that he wasn’t prepared to work with Kearney in the future, impact on him continuing.
Similar to Offaly, Kearney’s commitment to Galway is widely recognised across a number of roles, chiefly in hurling, while the appointments of Shane O’Neill and Pádraic Joyce as hurling and football managers quelled further controversy for now.
Challenging him on Monday night next is millionaire businessman Mick Culhane, managing director of Murray & Spellman financial services.
Culhane has been very prominent in Galway fundraising circles for several years, particularly with the footballers, but with the county lurching from one crisis to the next, he felt compelled to put himself up with increased revenue generation and new professionalism as central pillars.
Over the border in Mayo, the crisis that has engulfed the county shows no sign of abating as the convention looms on Sunday. Outgoing chair Mike Connelly is stepping down, so too is treasurer Kevin O’Toole, as their fiveyear periods have ended, but who takes over from Connelly could go a long way to defusing the impasse with the International Supporters Foundation.
Presence
Contesting the position are the current vice-chairman Seamus Tuohy and coaching and games development officer Liam Moffatt, a visible presence as lead physio to the Mayo senior team in recent years. Both have managed to keep a discreet distance from the ongoing controversy in the knowledge that it could impact on their candidacy.
Both are members of management but Tuohy’s length of service gives him a more establishment feel. Moffatt’s administrative footstep has been softer, offering less exposure to delegates.
By their nature, county board gatherings have an almost collegiate feel and support for the top table and its occupants doesn’t often waver. Familiarity is coveted among those with ballot paper in their hands, irrespective of what fresh voices presenting blank canvases and change for the better are promising.
The question for Duignan, Culhane and Moffatt is whether they have done enough ‘hard yards’ in terms of officership. Have they done the ‘circuit’ sufficiently? Because that often counts.
They tick many boxes in counties keen to draw lines in the sand. But as they may find out when taking on ‘town hall’ over the next week, winds of change can quickly erase those lines.
Convention by name and so often in adherence to old order.