John Horan (sports administrator)

John Horan
Horan in June 2018
President of the Gaelic Athletic Association
In office
24 February 2018 – 27 February 2021
Preceded byAogán Ó Fearghail
Succeeded byLarry McCarthy
Personal details
Born1958
Dublin, Ireland
OccupationRetired Secondary school principal

John Horan (born 1958) is a Gaelic games administrator who served as 39th president of the GAA. He was chairman of the Leinster Council from 2014 to 2017 and was previously vice-chairman from 2011 to 2014. A member of the Na Fianna club in Glasnevin, Horan was the first Dublin-born GAA president since 1924 when Daniel McCarthy finished his three-year term. He is a retired secondary school principal.[1][2]

He was educated at St. Vincent's C.B.S., Glasnevin, where he also was a teacher and principal. His pupils included Dessie Farrell and Jason Sherlock.[3]

In 2019, Horan unveiled a new manifesto and mission statement for the GAA entitled The GAA: Where We All Belong.[4]

The GAA became the first national sporting Association in Ireland to establish a gender diversity committee. In June 2019, Horan approved the first ever official participation by the GAA in the national Dublin PRIDE Parade.[5][6] This was following meetings with referee David Gough and Ladies Gaelic Footballer Valerie Mulcahy.

A significant development in his tenure occurred at a GAA Special Congress held at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork on 20 October 2019, where delegates voted in favour of the introduction of a second tier Gaelic Football Championship.[7] This led to the creation of the Tailteann Cup, first staged in 2022 and won by Westmeath.[8]

On 29 January 2019 he delivered the first ever address to the Senate or Seanad Eireann by a GAA President.[9] Other notable firsts included an address at an ecumenical service celebrating Gaelic games in St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin on 26 May 2019.[9]

  1. ^ Breheny, Martin (24 February 2017). "Everything you need to know about new GAA president-elect John Horan". Irish Independent. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  2. ^ "New GAA President Horan warns against threat of 'elitism'". Irish Independent. 24 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Dessie Farrell: the making of a Dublin manager". The42.ie. 19 December 2020.
  4. ^ "GAA launch a new manifesto". independent. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  5. ^ Mulcahy, Valerie (29 June 2019). "So proud GAA has showed how inclusive it is". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  6. ^ "GAA to take part in Dublin LGBTQ+ Pride Festival". www.gaa.ie. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  7. ^ "Tier 2 football championship gets green light at special congress". The Irish Times. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  8. ^ "Westmeath win inaugural Tailteann Cup as late goal sinks Cavan". independent. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Horan breaks new ground as GAA president addresses Seanad". The Irish Times. Retrieved 23 October 2022.