Doyle takes Mid Tipp chairman

The newly elected Chairman of the Mid Tipperary GAA Board Johnny Doyle (Holycross-Ballycahill) has stated that the ordinary club players in the GAA are getting a raw deal and will not take the same treatment for much longer.

Speaking in the wake of his election in Drombane Community Hall, Doyle, son of former Tipperary GAA hurling legend John Doyle said that there is a real need for change in the GAA. Club players will not stay sitting around for much longer waiting for their championship games to be played while inter county action continues, he said, and he added that if the present system remains there will be no need for Mid conventions any longer, because there won¹t be clubs to hold them.

Doyle, the first Holycross-Ballycahill man to take the hot seat since Michael Lowry in 1982 and only the second ever from the parish to hold the position, fought off the challenge of Loughmore-Castleiney man Pat Gleeson on a vote of 39 to 23.

It was a night of celebration for Holycross-Ballycahill and there was some consolation for Pat Gleeson as well as he secured the Vice Chairman¹s seat alongside PJ Maher (Boherlahan-Dualla) having fought off Andy O¹Gorman¹s (Gortnahoe-Glengoole) challenge.

"It¹s a great honour for me to be elected Chairman. I am absolutely delighted and I promise all the clubs of Mid Tipperary that they - and the players - will get a fair hearing from me in so far as I can. The players of this county and others are getting a raw deal as far as I am concerned and I¹m wondering if there is anything we can do to change all that. I believe we have to do something because if we don¹t there won¹t be any need to come to Mid conventions in the future because there won¹t be any clubs. We are at a critical stage now in the association and we have to take a very close look at the future of it," he said.

Officers Elected

President: Bob Stakelum (Holycross-Ballycahill)

Chairman: Johnny Doyle (Holycross-Ballycahill)

Vice Chairmen: Pat Gleeson (Loughmore-Castleiney), PJ Maher (Boherlahan-Dualla)

Secretary: Matty Connolly (Boherlahan-Dualla)

Assistant Secretary: Micheal Egan (Gortnahoe-Glengoole)

Treasurer: Tom Maher (Moyne-Templetuohy)

Assistant Treasurer: John Donovan (Rahaelty-Kickhams)

PRO: PJ Leahy (Moyne-Templetuohy)

Youth Officer: Jonathon Cullen (Loughmore-Castleiney)