Ó Luanaigh quits as Eircom League chairman

THE FALLOUT from the Fran Rooney saga continued yesterday with the resignation of Declan Ó Luanaigh as chairman of the Eircom League.

Ó Luanaigh, formerly the league treasurer, took over as acting chairman when Brendan Dillon resigned in January this year and was ratified at the league AGM in March.

Seasoned FAI observers were not surprised by Ó Luanaigh's departure, particularly with the former chairman seen as close to Fran Rooney, whose resignation as chief executive was announced on Wednesday.

The resignation creates some administrative headaches in the organisation. Ó Luanaigh's resignation is to be discussed at Monday's meeting of the league's board of control but it is the league's management committee which has the power to elect a new chairman. The management committee is to meet on November 30, but after yesterday's events it is expected that that meeting will now be rescheduled for an earlier date.

Ó Luanaigh's resignation creates another administrative problem for the FAI in that he must resign his membership of the FAI board of management.

The board is supposed to have 10 members but is currently short-handed because of Rooney's departure. Last summer controversy surrounded the board of management when FAI honorary treasurer Kevin Fahy's solicitors challenged the validity of his expulsion from the board.

With the media focus on the likely replacement for Fran Rooney early indications are that current treasurer John Delaney is the favourite to take over as an interim FAI chief executive it may be significant that John Byrne, a Delaney ally, is being suggested as a replacement as Eircom League chairman. Some FAI insiders were unhappy with Ó Luanaigh's low public profile and his successor would be expected to improve in this regard.