ULSTER GAA is moving quickly to find a replacement for long-serving provincial secretary Danny Murphy.
The Burren clubman only announced his intention to retire less than a fortnight ago but anyone seeking to succeed him will have just over two weeks to submit an application.
Murphy who has been the top official of the GAA in Ulster for 16 years, will remain in post until February 1 next year, having taken the decision to step down due to ill health.
The advertisement seeking his successor as Provincial Secretary/Chief Executive Officer appears in today’s paper.
The job ‘spec’ states that the “person appointed will be an experienced professional with a passion for the promotion of Gaelic games and Irish culture and will have extensive management experience at a senior level in the private, public or sports sector”.
There will obviously be interested parties already working within the Ulster Council but the post will also be an attractive one for many outside the organisation.
Having said that, a major item in the new provincial secretary’s in-tray will be helping to see through the re-development of Casement Park to become Ulster’s main provincial stadium for the future as well as the home of the GAA in Antrim.
The project at the west Belfast venue stalled in late December 2014 when a High Court judge overturned planning permission for a 38,000-seater stadium after a judicial review.
The new consultation process is currently in a second stage after a largely very positive response following a series of local community events.
The advert requires the new chief to “provide direction and leadership to management and staff and oversee the effective development and utilisation of the province’s financial and physical resources”.
Murphy will be a hard act to follow, having been the public face of Ulster GAA for more than a decade and a provincial council officer for 31 years come the date of his retirement.
The closing date for applicants in Friday September 9.
