High profile candidate to go forward for Offaly GAA chairman

WITH the deadline fast approaching for nominations for Offaly GAA officers, it is understood that a high profile candidate is about to be nominated to replace Michael Duignan as chairman.

The Tribune has learned that Coolderry man Tom Parlon is going to be nominated by his club before nominations close on Tuesday evening.

Parlon is one of Offaly's best known individuals with a diverse range of achievements in politics, business and farming. 71 years of age, he is a former chairman of Coolderry GAA Club and first came to national prominence when he served as president of the Irish Farmers' Association from 1997 to 2001, having previously been vice president from 1991 to 1993.

His achievements in the farming world drew interest from political parties in Laois-Offaly, especially the now defunct Progressive Democrats and Fine Gael. He opted to run for the Progressive Democrats in the 2002 General Election and did tremendously well to upset the local dynamic in Offaly and Laois by being elected at the first attempt.

For years, apart from the very odd upset, Laois-Offaly generally returned 3 Fianna Fail and 2 Fine Gael TDs. Laois Fine Gael minister Charlie Flanagan was a high profile casualty as Fine Fail kept three and Olwyn Enright was elected for Fine Gael in Offaly. In a stunning success, Parlon came second in the poll with 14.4% of the vote, over three thousands votes behind a then unassailable Brian Cowen, who was approaching his political zenith.

The Progressive Democrats came in as the junior coalition partners with Fianna Fail for those five years and Parlon's profile was enhanced by serving as Minister of State at the Department of Finance with Bertie Ahern as Taoiseach and PD leader Mary Harney as Tanaiste. Parlon's remit included responsibility for the Office of Public Works.

In 2007, however, the PD vote collapsed nationally and Parlon was caught in the cross-fire as Charlie Flanagan won back his seat – Parlon received just 5.9% of the vote and that defeat ended his political life. The PD party leader Michael McDowell also lost his seat in that election and despite his own loss, Parlon was linked with taking over the vacancy as leader.

He soon confirmed he would not be seeking this role or election to the Seanad and instead, he returned to the private business world, taking up another high profile role as Director General of the Irish Construction Industry Federation (CIF). He was linked with returning to politics as a Fine Gael candidate when Olwyn Enright stepped down for the 2011 General Election but didn't bite and continued to serve as leader of the CIF until 2023.

Now retired, Parlon's likely candidature as chairman will be broadly and warmly welcomed by the Offaly GAA community. Michael Duignan, Durrow was elected in a spectacular coup five years ago, with Clara's Dervill Dolan and Brian Gavin coming in as treasurer and Leinster Council delegate as part of a package to bring change to the County Board.

Gavin was unseated by Kilcormac-Killoughey's Dolores Slevin a year later while Edenderry's Colm Cummins came in as secretary, replacing Pat Horan of St Rynagh's. Cummins had been a pivotal part of the Duignan led package but was beaten by Rhode's James Murphy in a contest for vice chairman that year.

With Michael Duignan, Colm Cummins and Dervill Dolan at the helm, Offaly enjoyed some wildly unexpected success, taking the All-Ireland U-20 Football Championship in 2021 and winning U20 hurling this year while losing All-Ireland minor and U20 hurling finals in 2022 and 2023.

They were a fundraising juggernaut with golfing hero Shane Lowry coming on board as a financial backer and Killeigh based Glenisk taking over as the county's main sponsors as well as securing naming rights for O'Connor Park.

Duignan and Dolan must stand down under the GAA's five year limit on officers serving in the one position, along with vice chairman James Murphy. Cummins has also stated he is stepping down as secretary, though he can serve one more year as he has just done four, and replacing these men created a major headache for Offaly GAA.

With the end of their term looming, Michael Duignan and fellow officers have continued to work hard to tie down long term sponsorship deals. In recent days, Condron Concrete, Tullamore have signed up as a major and significant backer of the Offaly Coaching and Games Development programme and other firms have also committed to various sponsorship deals for terms up to five years.

Michael Duignan will stay on the Offaly GAA Management Committee as Central Council delegate while Dervill Dolan and Colm Cummins have promised to help out the new officers.

Initially, it had been expected that James Murphy would run for chairman but he ruled himself out a couple of months ago. There had also been speculation linking Paddy Scales of St Rynagh's with the vacancy but he is also understood to have ruled himself out in recent days.

Parlon's emergence as a candidate will come as a relief to all involved in the GAA in the county as they were facing the nightmare scenario of no nominations coming in before Tuesday evening and the outgoing officers having to remain in-situ on an interim basis.

Michael Duignan et-al have brought things to a new level in the county with record levels of money being raised and spent. This is having a positive impact across the county in a variety of ways but the downside is that it reduces the pool of people willing to and capable of taking on lead roles. Like Michael Duignan, Tom Parlon has not previously served as a board officer but his wealth of experience and obvious passion for Offaly GAA ticks a lot of the same boxes and he will try and drive the county on down the same road.

Other positions also have to be filled at Convention including vice chairman and treasurer, and possibly secretary, but it is understood that late candidates are beginning to emerge for most of these roles and will be nominated before Tuesday's closing deadline. Convention takes place in December and while there is also the possibility of other candidates being nominated by clubs and everyone has that right, the avoidance of contests would be desirable at this stage if people are willing to go forward.