Tyrone set to make history by electing GAA’s first female county chairperson

Tyrone GAA is on the verge of making history tonight with the election of the association’s first woman county chair. Roisín Jordan is set to take over the top job in the county in what would be a ground-breaking move for the association.

She has served five years as vice-chair, and with chairman Ciarán McLaughlin stepping down after completing a five-year term in the post, the Eglish woman looks certain to succeed him.

She is one of three nominations for the top job along with Donal Magee and Eugene McConnell but Jordan is favourite to take the post.

Magee, from Killyclogher, and Clogher clubman McConnell are also nominated for the position of vice-chairman. Traditionally in Tyrone, the vice-chair has succeeded the outgoing chair, and that precedent is expected to be upheld.

Despite the increasingly involved roles played by women within the GAA, representation at the top levels of administration has been very scarce. Noreen Doherty became the first woman elected as county secretary when taking up the reins at the beginning of 1992.

Having held the office for 14 years, she stepped down and in 2010 was appointed the county’s full-time GAA administrator. She also served as the county’s Central Council delegate but relinquished the position on becoming the county’s administrator.

There hasn’t been a rush to emulate the appointment in the intervening years.

Successor

Her successor in Donegal was also a woman, Crona Regan who took up the position at the age of only 22 and served for three years. Currently there are three women county secretaries in the GAA: Áine Finnegan (Monaghan),

Margaret Doyle

(Wexford) and the longest serving, Kathleen O’Neill in Kildare. Off the Booze & On the Ball, the GAA’s health challenge will again take place in the new year. Two of the participating adult teams that register and complete the challenge will win a training session with scheme ambassadors Oisín McConville and

Brendan Cummins

, as well as a visit to their clubs from Sam Maguire or the Liam McCarthy cup.

The month may have changed to February but the challenge remains the same: abstain from alcohol for just four weeks and use this period to focus on your health and wellbeing, while raising funds for your club - a new online fundraising option will also be available for participants.

The challenge is also open to third-level colleges. Further details are available at gaa.ie/thechallenge.