Emotive last words as Ryan steps aside

AN emotive Paddy Joe Ryan addressed last night’s Waterford GAA convention in Dungarvan as chairman for the final time.

The Fourmilewater clubman has been at the administrative head of affairs in the Decies for the last decade, during which time he has seen the county’s senior hurlers win the Munster championship twice and the junior footballers also win two Munster and two All-Ireland titles.

However, his publicly stated personal ambition to be chairman when Waterford won the All-Ireland hurling title for only the third time wasn’t realised, but in his address he told the convention delegates there was “every chance’ his successor would do so in 2005.