Larry McCarthy to be 40th President of the GAA

Friday 28 February 2020

Larry McCarthy, right, with Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael John Horan after he was elected to be the 40th president of the GAA during the GAA Annual Congress 2020 at Croke Park in Dublin.

By John Harrington for GAA.ie

Larry McCarthy has been elected President-elect of the GAA at Annual Congress 2020 in Croke Park.

McCarthy is the first ever overseas candidate to be elected to the position and will serve as GAA President from 2021 to 2024.

His home club is Bishopstown in Cork and he won an All-Ireland Club football title with Thomond College in 1978.

He worked as a teacher in Dublin for a couple of years and played football with Raheny GAA club before he emigrated to New York in 1985 to do a Masters Degree.

He currently works as a lecturer in Sports Management in Seton Hall University.

He will move back to Ireland for his three-year term of office as the 40th President of the GAA.

He has a long association with the Sligo football club in New York and has served as both Secretary and Chairman of New York GAA.

He has also administrated at a national level as a GAA Trustee and Management Committee member.

*Larry McCarthy speaking after he was elected to be the 40th president of the GAA during the GAA Annual Congress 2020 at Croke Park in Dublin.*

McCarthy’s election came after four rounds of voting. Jarlath Burns polled more votes after the first two rounds, he and McCarthy were deadlocked on 110 votes each after the third round, before McCarthy eventually prevailed with 142 votes to Burns’ 132.

McCarthy paid tribute to Burns and the three other candidates Jim Bolger, Mick Rock, and Jerry O’Sullivan at the outset of his acceptance speech.

“It was a great campaign,” said McCarthy when addressing Congress. “We crossed paths with each other up and down the country and half-way around the world. It was a wonderful, hard-fought contest as it should be for Uachtarán Cumann Lúthchleas Gael.

“I want to thank them for their courage for putting their heads above the parapet in terms of making a challenge this great position.

“I want to thank my wife Barbara and our two sons Conor and Shane.

“I want to thank Sligo Football Club for the nomination way back in Gaelic Park last September. I want to thank my two other clubs, my home club Bishopstown and also Raheny up here in Dublin who I played with for a number of years.

“To the New York delegation here, thank-you for all the support and work you’ve done in the last couple of days.”