Duignan to be challenged by Slevin for Offaly GAA Central Council delegate

MICHAEL Duignan will have to beat a challenge from Kilcormac-Killoughey woman Dolores Slevin if he is to realise his ambition of becoming Central Council delegate at Offaly GAA Convention next week.

The contest will be one of the highlights of annual Convention. Durrow club man, Michael Duignan will be re-elected unopposed for a fifth and final year as chairman, along with secretary Colm Cummins (Edenderry) and treasurer Dervill Dolan (Clara) and almost all the other officers.

Michael Duignan must step down as chairman at the 2024 Convention under the GAA's five year rule and he announced his candidature for Central Council delegate a couple of months ago. He told delegates at a County Board meeting that he wished to stay involved on the Management Committee after that and had decided to let his name go forward for Central Council delegate – the incumbent Paddy Scales (St Rynagh's) has to step down under the five year rule.

It had been anticipated that Duignan would be elected unopposed but he now faces a vote. Dolores Slevin has been Leinster Council delegate in recent years and has to vacate that under the time on officers serving in the one position. She confirmed on Monday afternoon that she would be running for Central Council and is canvassing clubs for support.

Michael Duignan also confirmed that he was running, saying that if elected, he would only be operating a dual role from next February and wanted to remain involved after his term as chairman ended. “It is very important for Offaly to have a strong voice and I feel very passionate about getting Offaly's voice heard,” he said, adding that as a dual county promoting both games equally, they should be getting more funding from GAA authorities.

“I feel we don't get enough support, we don't get enough funding,” he remarked, adding that he hoped to get elected.

A long time Kilcormac-Killoughey club official, Dolores Slevin had been beaten by Clara's Brian Gavin for Leinster Council delegate at the 2019 Convention – Gavin was part of the Michael Duignan led package that saw Tommy Byrne ousted as chairman and Dervill Dolan elected as treasurer.

Another member of that package, Colm Cummins lost out to Rhode's James Murphy in a vote for vice chairman but was elected as secretary a year later after the incumbent Pat Horan (St Rynagh's) withdrew from a contest. Slevin returned as Leinster Council delegate that year, beating Brian Gavin in a vote.

Dolores Slevin will be bidding to follow in the footsteps of her late father Mick Spain, who was a long serving Offaly GAA Central Council delegate from the 1980s into the 2000s.

Michael Duignan will be the favourite to win but it is a contest that will brighten up what should be a fairly routine Convention.

It will be a different story in 2024 when a new chairman will be elected and already speculation is developing about potential candidates. Vice chairman James Murphy could run while it would not be a surprise if Colm Cummins sought to step up and there is also speculation about the intentions of Gracefield's Tommy Byrne, who has been chairman on two previous occasions as well as secretary.

There may be a contest for the two Leinster Council delegates at Convention this year. With Dolores Slevin having to step down, the outgoing Ciaran Groome (Bracknagh) is nominated along with Shinrone's Joe Cleary, Clara's Alex Roe and Crinkill's Declan Ward.

Christy Todd (Ballycommon) and Nessa Feighery, Kilcormac-Killoughey have decided against seeking another year as assistant secretary and assistant treasurer but there has been no nominations for these positions which will now have to be filled at the first County Board meeting in the new year. The decision of Todd to withdraw is a surprise - he was board secretary for several years from the early 1990s into the 2000s and involved in a variety of capacities since then as well as currently managing the Faithful Fields training grounds.

Apart from chairman, secretary and treasurer, the following officers have also been returned unopposed:

Vice chairperson – James Murphy (Rhode); Assistant secretary – Christy Todd (Ballycommon); PRO – Padraig O'Meara (Clara); Cultural officer – Michelle Hogan (Birr); Coaching officer- Carina Carroll (Ballinamere).