Former President Seamus O Riain dies

[ziggysego]

Saturday, January 27

The death has occurred of former GAA president Seamus O Riain, who passed away in the early hours of Saturday morning at the age of 90.

Seamus was a native of Moneygall in Co Tipperary. He served as President of the Gaelic Athletic Association from 1967 to 1970 and had been President of the Tipperary County Board since 1990.

He also held the chairmanship of the North Tipperary Board (1957-66), of Munster Council (1965-67), of the Tipperary County Board (1970-73), Member of Coiste na nOg, of Committee of Club Development Scheme, of Bord na bPáirc and of Semple Stadium Development Committee.

Born in 1916 in Busherstown, near Moneygall in Co. Tipperary, he was educated at Moneygall NS, Colaiste Einde and Colaiste Chaoimhinm Dublin and De La Salle College Waterford, where he trained as a National Teacher.

He taught in Cloughjordan, Newcastlewest, Inis Barr a Chuin (an island off the West Coast) and Borrisokane before finally taking up his post at Dunkerrin NS. It is interesting to note that while in Borrisokane, Seamus Gardiner (GAA President from 1943 to 1946) was his principal.

Seamus won two Waterford Senior Football Championships with De La Salle and also won the Gold Medal for best all rounder during both his years in College. He played Junior hurling and football with Tipperary and also won many Tipperary and Munster athletic championships.

He served his local Moneygall club as Secretary during the early forties. Seamus was elected Vice Chairman of the North Tipperary Board in 1955 and Chairman in 1957, a position he held until 1966. He was first elected to the Munster Council in 1958 and became Vice-Chairman in 1962. He was elected chairman of the Munster Council in 1965 and was elected President of the GAA in 1967.

His term of Presidency (1967 to 1970) marked some major developments in the GAA. The most notable of these were the inauguration of Scor, the first games with Australian Rules in Ireland and Australia, the setting up of the Commission on the Affairs of the GAA, the launching of the Club Development Scheme, and the decision to build a modern handball court in Croke Park.

On completion of his term as President in 1970 he succeeded Canon Fogarty as Chairman of the Tipperary County Board. He was influential in having the Canon Fogarty trophy competition initiated - this competition brought together the secondary and vocational schools of Tipperary.

Another innovation was the first Tipperary GAA yearbook. His crowning glory however must surely have been Feile na nGael, which arrived on the scene in 1971 and which has since become probably the most significant youth development in the GAA.

Having completed his three years as County Board Chairman, he concentrated his attentions on the Moneygall club, taking over as Chairman in 1974. A year later Moneygall won their first ever North Tipperary Senior Hurling title as a distinct unit. They added the County title for good measure and the team included four members of the Ryan Clan, Philip, Seamus Junior, Jack and Eugene.

In 1975, the County title was retained. This history of the Moneygall club entitled the Moneygall Hurling Story, 1885 to 1975 was penned by Seamus at the end of 1975.

May he rest in peace.

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[magickingdom]

may he rest in peace

[Hound]

Shane Ryan's grandfather.

RIP

[Bord na Mona man]

Seamus was a native of Moneygall in Co Tipperary.

Moneygall is actually in Co. Offaly, as is Busherstown where Seamus was from. So technically he wasn't a Tipperary native.
Anyway that's hardly relevant. His tenure as GAA president brought a lot of positive change and he will be a great loss to the association as well as his family.

[AZOffaly]

True BnM man, but as you say, hardly important. I suppose the confusion is because Moneygall play in the Tipp championship.

RIP Uachtarán.