Brennan the fourth Kilkenny-born president

IDEALLY, Nickey Brennan would like to have formally assumed the role of GAA president in his native Kilkenny this weekend.

However, there is some consolation that congress is in Killarney as he has close ties with Kerry.

His wife Mairéad is from the parish of Currow - attending school in Scartaglin - and she lived along the same road as rugby icons Moss Keane, the late Mick Doyle and Mick Galway.

The couple were married in Muckross Church, Killarney, in 1977. “Certainly, Killarney for me has a lot of good memories,’’ he commented yesterday, pointing out that he spent the last few days ‘chilling out’ in the Dingle area in preparation for Congress.

Aged 52, he has taken leave from his job with Glanbia as Group Communications & Services Manager for the duration of his three-year term.

He will be the fourth Kilkenny man to serve as president, following James Nowlan (1901), Bob O’Keeffe (1935) and Paddy Buggy (1982).

After a hurling career which saw him win All-Ireland medals in 1979 (against a Galway side captained by Joe McDonagh) and 1982 against Cork, he served as county chairman and later as team manager. His election last year saw him defeat Christy Cooney from Cork by a margin of 17 votes

Mr Cooney is certain to be appointed to head up one of the high-powered committees in Croke Park and Jimmy Dunne is known to be the choice as GAC chairman.

PJ McGrath from Mayo is expected to take over as chairman of the Referees Committee and the third person to join him and Jimmy Dunne on the referees appointment body is rumoured to be the Tyrone secretary, Dominick McCaughey.