Duffy named as GAA player welfare manager

Monaghan man Paraic Duffy has been announced as the GAA's Player Welfare Manager.

The principal of St. Macartan's College in north Monaghan, Duffy has a long association with Gaelic games.

He was formerly Chairman of the Monaghan County Board and has chaired many GAA Committees including the Games Administration Committee.

He chaired the GAC between 2000 and 2003, the GAA's Coaching & Games Development Committee between 2003 and 2006 and also the National Audit Committee (2006).

On the playing side, Duffy was a selector with the successful Monaghan senior football team from 1983 to 1987 and was the International Rules Tour Manager in Australia in 2001, and also managed two Junior Tours. An underage coach at all levels, he holds a Club Coach Level One award.

A graduate of the University of Ulster and UCD, Duffy will take up his new post, which is based at Croke Park, from January 1 next.

His duties will include being the first point of contact in Croke Park for all GAA inter-county players on matters of player welfare, injuries, processing of claims, meeting any inter-county player who has suffered a serious injury to ensure the appropriate care and rehabilitation programme has been put in place, and delivering on educational programmes on all aspects of inter-county player medical welfare (including drugs testing and assessment issues) in association with the new GAA Medical Committee.

Duffy will also audit the activities of all County Boards to ensure compliance with the Player Welfare procedures approved by an Ard-Chomhairle, conduct a review of all current policies relating to the provision of the various resources to inter-county players and implement a training course for players to help them communicate with media and develop their endorsement and personal appearance potential.

Meanwhile, the GAA have also confirmed the appointment of Joan O'Neill as their new Financial Accountant, Declan Fanning as a new IT Executive and Kieran Leddy as their new Organisational & Development Manager.

Along with Hurling Coordinator Paudie Butler, the trio will take up their new roles next month.