GAELIC GAMES:THE RACE to succeed Christy Cooney as next president of the GAA took an unexpected turn yesterday when Tipperary's Con Hogan withdrew his candidacy, leaving just three nominations for what is one of the most prestigious positions in Irish sport.

Hogan was considered one of the definite contenders ahead of the election at the 2011 congress in Mullingar in April – with the successful candidate then taking over from Cooney after congress in 2012. Hogan cited the “presence of candidates with a stronger provincial and geographic support base” as one of the reasons for withdrawing his name, plus the fact that the current president is also from Munster.

It leaves Liam O’Neill from Laois, Tom Daly from Donegal, and Séamus Howlin from Wexford as the three remaining candidates for the position. There is no strict deadline for confirming candidacy, although those in the running do need to make their final submissions about three or four weeks before congress.

Hogan was nominated at the Tipperary convention in December, and also said at the time he had been urged by a number of people to put his name forward. However, in a statement released yesterday through the Tipperary County Board Hogan explained his change of mind.

“On receipt of the nomination for the position of Uachtarán Chumann Luthchleas Gael from Tipperary, I undertook to assess the situation and make a final decision on my candidature in the spring, well in advance of the election at Congress,” he said.

“The presence of candidates with a stronger provincial and geographic support base than my own coupled with the fact that the current president is from Munster would make it very difficult for me to achieve the necessary support and accordingly I have decided not to contest the election. I would like to wish the remaining candidates well; whoever is successful . . . can be assured of my total support in my remaining period as a trustee of the association and into the future.”

Hogan is a member of management committee at Croke Park, and spearheaded the recent multi-million refurbishments of Semple Stadium, and chairman of the Thurles venue’s management committee. The last Tipperary man to become GAA president was the late Séamus Ó Riain of Moneygall, who was elected in 1967.

So, O’Neill, Daly and Howlin are now likely to go head-to-head, with the April election due to take place this year on the eve of congress, rather than on the Saturday, as was traditional.

Tradition would suggest O’Neill is now the front-runner, having lost out to Cooney in 2008, by just 60 votes, and immediately announced his intention to run again to replace Cooney in 2012. He is currently chairman of the National Coaching and Games Development Committee.

Only twice in the last 30 years has a candidate who missed out in a previous election not won the following presidency election: Nickey Brennan and Seán Kelly both bucked that tradition in 2006 and 2003 respectively, but after that, those who lost out in the previous election took over in the next, including Cooney, going back to 1981. Before Brennan and Kelly, there was Seán McCague from Monaghan, up to 2003, and before that Joe McDonagh from Galway, Jack Boothman from Wicklow, and Peter Quinn from Fermanagh. So while McDonagh was the last president from Connacht, there hasn’t been an Ulster president since McCague.

Daly’s nomination was confirmed at the Donegal convention in December, and he is likely to get significant support from the Ulster counties. Daly was Ulster Council president until February, when he was replaced by Aogan Farrell. Howlin, a former chairman of the Leinster Council, has been long mooted as a presidential candidate, with strong support in his native Wexford and club St Martin’s.

With Hogan now out of the frame, canvassing is likely to step up a gear ahead of congress in Mullingar, which takes place from April 17-19th.