Former Tanaiste Mary Coughlan is in the running for the vacant chair at the Donegal GAA County Convention which takes place in Jacksons Hotel Ballybofey on December 13.
St Naul’s club secretary Coughlan served as Tánaiste in a Fianna Fail-led government from 2008 to 2011.
She was previously Minister for the Gaeltacht and Minister for Agriculture and served as a TD for south Donegal from the late 1980s to 2011.
Ms Coughlan is one of three candidates for the chair left vacant by the announcement by outgoing chairperson Fergus McGee that he was not going forward.
McGee had a tough year in office, having to deal with the fallout from the departure of Karl Lacey from the Academy, the departure of manager Paddy Carr against a background of player power and a damning independent report into how the GAA was being run in the county.
Ms Coughlan’s club-mate Cieran Kelly’s name has gone forward, along with former chairman Sean Dunnion from the Four Masters club has also been nominated.
Kelly is the outgoing Ulster Council delegate while Dunnion is the Central Council delegate.
But other than outgoing vice-chairman David McLoone, all the other posts are being contested.
There has already been some controversy over the Children’s Officer’s post as, while current officer Mick McGrath was proposed by the Executive, three other names were put forward at a county committee meeting, namely Michael McMenamin from Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin, Gary Duffy, Buncrana and Emlyn Hughes of Four Masters.
An outside three-person committee is expected to be ratified at a county committee meeting next Tuesday.
The nominations are:
Chair: Cieran Kelly, Mary Coughlan, Sean Dunnion
Vice-Chair: David McLoone
Secretary: Declan Martin, Mary Kelly
Assistant secretary: Mary Kelly
Treasurer: Frankie Doherty, Grace Boyle, Mick McGrath, Paul McGonigle
Assistant treasurer: Frankie Doherty, Anthony Molloy, Brendan Kelly Paul McGonigle
Coaching Officer: Michael McGeehin, Damian Diver Paul McGonigle.
Irish and Culture: Caitriona Ui Shuibhne, Sorcha Ní Gallchóir.
PRO: Ed Byrne, Sinead Breen Sorcha Ní Gallchoir.
Hurling Officer: Cormac Hartnett
Ulster Council (2): Cieran Kelly, Alan Boyd, Andy Doherty, Ciaran McKenna, Frankie Doherty, Liam McElhinney, Martin McHugh, Michael Murphy (Snr) William Doogan.
Central Council: Sean Dunnion, Martin McHugh, Niall Erskine
Delegates to Ulster Convention (1): Andy Doherty, Caitríona Ní Shuibhne, David McLoone
Delegates to National Congress (1): Edward Molloy, Martin McHugh Mick McGrath.
