Leech nominated
Dominic running for LGFA President
FORMER Wicklow ladies football manager Dominic Leech will contest for the position of National LGFA President in early March after being nominated following the Leinster Convention in Newtown last weekend.
The Newtown resident and Dublin native is a well-known and popular figure in both LGFA and GAA circles in Wicklow and beyond with a long and successful career as a manager of various teams in both.
Currently completing his third year as Leinster LGFA President, Leech will contest the election with Connacht President Liam McDonagh and former Ulster LGFA President Micheal Naughton at the national convention in Westmeath in early March.
‘A lot of people had been asking me whether I was interested in going for the job,’ said Dominic. It’s a situation where the job of president comes up periodically, every four years, so it’s about getting the opportunity to put yourself forward,’ he added.
‘2020 is a huge year for ladies football. It’s all about the increase in women’s profiles in media and sport,’ said Dominic who also understands the irony of three men running for the highest office of a national women’s sporting organisation.
‘It is a strange situation where three men are going for the position. But there isn’t a female who has been put forward for the job, and barring that someone is put forward there is very little anyone can do,’ he added.
Dominic Leech’s history within the GAA and the LGFA is substantial and rich to say the least. He began his playing days with
St Vincent’s on Dublin’s northside before moving to Whitehall Colmcilles. Management was a natural home for him. He was selector with the Dublin Minor team who won the Leinster football crown but lost out to Kerry in the All-Ireland final in 1998 and, of course, as we all know in Wicklow, he guided the county ladies side to their wonderful victory in the All-Ireland Junior final against New York in Croke Park in 2011.
Add to that stints with Blessington ladies where they won and Intermediate crown, the Newtown Minor footballers who won a county crown in 2000 and the Ballinacor men’s team who won a Junior ‘B’ crown in 2005 as well as a raft of positions on committees such as club secretary, registrar, and chairman, county chairman, Leinster registrar and Leinster President and you can see that leadership and delegation comes naturally to the affable Dominic.
Dominic says that the integration of the LGFA and GAA in the coming years will be one of the
most important aspects of the job of the President.
‘The memorandums of understanding have been signed and that’s going to happen sooner rather than later, and clubs and counties need to be ready for that.
‘An awful lot of work has been done on that in years previous to this one, the signing of the memorandums of understanding happened last year but it will not be about sitting down and sorting out the practicalities such as insurance and the different levels and strata within each organisation. It’s a big thing,’ he added.
The Newtown resident says that increasing support for ladies football games outside of the much publicised All-Ireland football finals that attracted over 56,000 people this year will be high on his list of desires.
‘I am delighted and proud to have been elected as Leinster LGFA President and to also have accepted the honour of a nomination to contest for the prestigious position of National LGFA
President at National Congress in early March,’ Dominic wrote on Facebook earlier this week.
‘The nomination itself is a huge honour for myself, my family, my club here in Newtown, and my county and indeed my province. I thank Wicklow for their constant support over the years and hope I prove worthy of their faith in me.
‘Ladies football has been such an integral part of my life over the past 20 years - this wonderfully progressive organisation has gone from strength to strength in showing the way for women’s football and sport in general and continues to be innovative in its actions.
‘It has been part of some of the best moments of my life and has ensured lasting friendship with so many people down the years.
‘Personally, I find it hard to put into words my feelings at this time but as my Dad’s anniversary approaches, I cannot help but feel emotional and hope that my pride in contesting for this high office would be reflected by him. I’d like to think it would,’ he wrote.