Mayo bids to resolve error counting votes for Connacht delegate roles

Finding a “satisfactory conclusion” to “a procedural error in relation to the counting of votes” for the Connacht GAA Council delegate positions at last Sunday’s Mayo GAA Convention was expected to top the agenda at last night’s meeting of Mayo GAA chiefs.

The new executive committee of the Mayo GAA Board had already been scheduled to meet at MacHale Park in Castlebar last night before news emerged on Tuesday night that an issue had arisen after Sunday’s Convention.

Outgoing Mayo GAA Board chairman Mike Connelly had announced on Sunday evening, some time after the Convention had officially concluded, that Vincent Neary (Bonniconlon) and Johnny O’Malley (Ardnaree Sarsfields) had been elected as Mayo GAA’s two delegates to the provincial council.

The result was declared following the counting and distributing of the 169 votes cast by club representatives using the PR system. Johnny Hopkins (The Neale) and Ger McHugh (Hollymount/Carramore) were the defeated candidates.

However, a Mayo GAA statement on Tuesday night said that “a procedural error” had been “brought to their attention by one of the counting team on Sunday night”.

“Croke Park and the Connacht Council were contacted immediately to ascertain the next steps required to resolve the matter,” continued the statement. “All four candidates have been contacted in relation to this issue and it is hoped to bring the matter to a satisfactory conclusion in a timely manner.”

There are a number of possible outcomes to this latest Mayo GAA saga, with local sources suggesting that a recount or even a second vote may be required.

How the situation resolves itself will depend, to a large degree, on the positions taken by the four candidates in last weekend’s Connacht GAA Council elections.