Fogarty new Munster Council chairman

TIPPERARY’S Sean Fogarty has been installed as the new chairman of the Munster GAA Council, succeeding Cork’s Christy Cooney, who has completed his three-year term.

And, former Clare county secretary Simon Moroney has already been appointed the Council’s full-time secretary following the retirement of Donie Nealon.

Sean Fogarty is the outgoing vice-chairman and, as has been the practice in recent times, is not being opposed.

There hasn’t been an election for the chairmanship since 1980, in Killarney, when the late Donal O’Sullivan from Cork defeated current PRO Fr Seamus Gardiner by 30 votes to 20.

There will, however, be a contest for the position of vice-chairman, between Gerry Bennis (Limerick), Jimmy O’Gorman (Waterford) and Robert Frost (Clare).

Gerry Bennis, a servicing officer in Limerick with the Munster Colleges, is a former Limerick chairman and a member of the well-known Patrickswell family. Robert Frost is a former chairman of the Clare County Board, while Jimmy O’Gorman is a former chairman of the West Waterford Board. He is one of the county’s members of the Council.

There hasn’t been a Waterford member of the Munster Executive for more than 30 years, since Nioclás MacCraith was elected chairman in 1974. He succeeded Weesh Murphy from Cork - father of Cork doctor Con Murphy - who died on the evening of the 1973 All-Ireland final.

At the same convention in 1974, former Cork County Board secretary Con Murphy was one of three candidates for the Vice-Chairmanship and was eliminated after the first count. Two years later he was chosen as President of the Association.

Donie Nealon was elected secretary in October 1977, in Tipperary town, succeeding Sean McCarthy from Tralee, who had held the position since 1931. He was one of four candidates for the position, the others being the late Tom Boland (Limerick), Brian Barrett (Cork) and the late Michael O’Connor from Kerry.