Duignan elected Central Council delegate in big vote at Offaly GAA Convention

MICHAEL Duignan won the big vote at Offaly GAA Convention on Tuesday evening when he was elected as the county's new Central Council delegate.

The Durrow club man recorded an expected victory as he beat Kilcormac-Killoughey club woman, Dolores Slevin, 83-31 in a vote. He was also re-elected for a fifth and final year as chairman and will combine this with his new role as Central Council delegate after national Congress next February. While his win was a comprehensive one, 31 votes represented a respectable tally for Slevin as it would have been a sensational upset if she had won against a serving chairman with a high profile, who has been widely lauded for the job he is doing at the helm of Offaly GAA.

After his election, Michael Duignan saluted Dolores Slevin for the work she has done for Offaly GAA in recent years and noting the contribution of her family. He noted that she had been the Offaly senior hurling team secretary in recent years and would continue to work with the hurlers in 2024.

Dolores Slevin's father, the late Mick Spain (K-K) was a long serving Central Council delegate from 1981 to 2006, apart from a brief spell from 1985 to 1987 when he stepped aside to allow Tullamore's John Dowling in to facilitate his successful campaign to become GAA president. Dowling had ended his own long tenure as Central Council delegate in 1981 (he was also County Board secretary for most of the 1960s, '70s and half of the 1980s) when he became Leinster Council chairman but when he sought to get it back in 1984, Spain recorded a sensational 96-75 win over him – he opted to step aside a year later.

Her husband, Joe Slevin was Kilcormac-Killoughey GAA chairman in recent years, stepping down at their AGM a few weeks ago.

Duignan replaces Paddy Scales of St Rynagh's who had to step down as Central Council delegate under the rule limiting officers to five years in the one position.

Dolores Slevin had been a Leinster Council delegate and had to step down from this under the five year rule. Duignan told the County Board some months ago that he would be seeking election as Central Council delegate, explaining that it was a position that he felt he had something to offer in as well as wishing to stay on the Management Committee after his five year term.

His decision to go for Central Council delegate has fuelled speculation that he may have ambitions of going further in the GAA, at national or provincial level, but he is certainly not making any statement of intent at the moment.

The former Offaly hurling star ousted Gracefield's Tommy Byrne in an acrimonious contest for chairman in 2019 with Clara's Dervill Dolan elected as treasurer the same night. Edenderry's Colm Cummins was beaten by Rhode's James Murphy in a vote for vice chairman the same night but was elected as secretary a year later.

Cummins, Murphy and Dolan were all returned unopposed to their positions on Tuesday night when the only other contest was a vote for the two Leinster Council delegates. A newcomer Declan Ward (Crinkle) had a huge win here, storming past the quota of 39 on the first count with 73 votes. The outgoing Ciaran Groome (Bracknagh) polled 36 votes with another newcomer, Clara's Alex Roe on five.

In the second count, the distribution of Ward's surplus of 34, Groome sauntered past the winning post with 15 votes to bring his tally to 51.

All the other officers were elected unopposed but there are two vacancies on the Management Committee with Christy Todd (Ballycommon) and Nessa Feighery (Kilcormac-Killoughey) opting out as assistant secretary and assistant treasurer, respectively. Both vacancies will be filled in January with clubs asked to make nominations.

Michael Duignan thanked both for their work, paying a particularly warm tribute to Christy Todd for his long years of service to Offaly GAA and stating that he would continue to work in Faithful Fields.

The following officers were elected:

Chairman – Michael Duignan (Durrow);

Vice chairman – James Murphy (Rhode);

Secretary – Colm Cummins (Edenderry);

Treasurer – Dervill Dolan (Clara);

PRO – Padraig O'Meara (Clara);

Central Council delegate – Michael Duignan (Durrow);

Leinster Council delegates – Declan Ward (Crinkle) and Ciaran Groome (Bracknagh);

Cultural officer – Michelle Hogan (Birr);

Coaching officer – Carina Carroll (Ballinamere).

The following chairman's nominees will also serve on the Management Committee.

Planning and training officer – Brendan Minnock (Shamrocks);

Children's officer – Elaine Kelly (Kilclonfert).

Offaly's delegates to national Congress and Leinster Council will be Michael Duignan, Colm Cummins, Dervill Dolan and Pat Teehan (Coolderry).