Former GAA president Liam O'Neill dies aged 70

The self-deprecating and intelligent former teacher commissioned the initial Football Review Committee

Liam O'Neill served as GAA president from 2012 to 2015. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Former GAA president Liam O’Neill, 70, has passed away following a recent illness.

The Laois native, a Trumera clubman, served as uachtarán from 2012 to ’15 during which time the black card was introduced to Gaelic football. He became the second man from Laois to hold the position after Robert O’Keeffe (1935-38).

O’Neill commissioned the late Eugene McGee to head up the initial Football Review Committee, which brought in a new layer of punishment for cynical play and laid the foundation for its implementation in hurling years later.

O’Neill also established the Liam Sheedy-led Hurling 2020 group that brought in the one-v-one penalty and the five-second advantage rule.

Sky Sports also became a media partner of the GAA during his presidency, O’Neill rigorously defended the decision to embrace the pay-per-view model as he did the 2014 Kerry-Mayo All-Ireland semi-final replay being played in Limerick’s Gaelic Grounds as an American football college game was scheduled for Croke Park that weekend.

Known for his strong work on the GAA’s disciplinary system having served as chairman of the disciplinary task force and the hurling development committee in the early 2010s, O’Neill previously served as Leinster Council chairman. He was principal of Gaelscoil Thromaire where he took over from his father Liam senior (Billy). He retired from teaching in 2018 after 41 years.

Self-deprecating and intelligent, O’Neill had a great dry wit and graduated from St Patrick’s College in Drumcondra like several other GAA luminaries. He ran uncontested for the position to become the 37th president in 2011 and succeeded Christy Cooney the following year. He had challenged Cork’s Cooney for the position in 2008.

In an interview with this newspaper last September, O’Neill expressed his concern at the condensed inter-county season and suggested the All-Ireland finals return to August.

“We're rushing everything. We’re in a hurry to get things done and out of the way. I've seen better fixture-planning (with the split season), but I think that was coming anyway. I see that the games are being played off at a frantic pace.

“It’s not just in inter-county they want out of the way, they’re actually doing it in the club as well. There are a number of clubs in Laois now finished hurling for the year because they haven't qualified for the knockout stages of the league championships. And it's very early to be finished.” 

 O’Neill is survived by his wife Áine, daughters Caoimhe and Cliodhna and son Ciarán. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.