The man behind the mic: Padraig

WHEN Fr Liam Devine was leaving Sligo, questions arose as to who was going to fill his position as the public addresser in Markievicz Park.

The important role is synonymous with match days in the Park yet people were hesitant to take over. Up stepped proud Mullinabreena man Padraig Gorman and he hasn’t looked back since. He said: “When Fr Devine was leaving, no one wanted the job doing the public address in the press box. I said I’d give it a go so I put my name forward and decided to put on the switch and see what happened.

“I had a wee bit of an idea about electronics so I took over. I do enjoy it. Listening to the debates that go on in the press box, some good, some bad, especially around the club games. I open the window in the press box and to hear some of the comments down below, people can get so carried away at times, I wish sometimes I could record them!,” Padraig laughed.

The Markievicz Park committee is an example of the stellar work that volunteers play in running the GAA.

“The likes of Paddy Galvin and Tom Gallen, there is such a good group here, where would you get the like. They are here seven days a week sometimes up to nine o’clock at night.”

He said he’s witnessed some great under age matches in the Park over the years. “It’s brilliant to see parents getting so involved and also the progression of ladies football, although I would like to see more ladies refs and coaches getting involved. Working in the job is very rewarding, sure what else would I be doing. I have Bernardine McGauran as back up now and she’s great in case I can’t make it to a match. I remember once being at a wedding down in Carlow and I had to race back as there was no one to step in!”

Sligo GAA had its own evening in Scarden recently celebrating Sligo’s European Year of Volunteering and speakers including Joe Taaffe and Gerry O’Connor from the County Board said without volunteers, the GAA would quite simply not be able to operate.