The GAA has commenced the formal process of replacing veteran administrator Frank Murphy as secretary of Cork GAA.
Murphy’s successor will take office at Cork’s annual Convention in December, and advertisements inviting applications for the post will be placed on public notice today.
His retirement will bring an astonishing 46 years at the helm of Cork GAA to a close for Mr Murphy, 74, with current county board chair Tracey Kennedy accepting his store of institutional memory will be “impossible to replicate”.
The Association at Croke Park level will oversee the appointment process and handle the applications, though it is envisaged that Cork will have a nominee on the interview panel.
The closing date for applications is July 20 with the job spec to be outlined in the online adverts today.
The outgoing secretary was given a one-year contract extension last year to help bring the €80m Páirc Ui Chaoimh stadium redevelopment to a successful conclusion. He will step down at convention, but it is yet to be decided whether the new appointment will have time to shadow his or her predecessor in advance of that December date.
The GAA will be hoping to attract a diverse selection of candidates from business, administrative and sporting backgrounds, and there is likely to be considerable interest from internal Cork GAA candidates, including current senior administrator (and de facto assistant secretary) Diarmuid O’Donovan, former chair Ger Lane and member of the executive Marc Sheehan, though he has only recently been appointed a school principal in Carrignavar, Co Cork.
In terms of when the new appointment — who will de factor be the CEO of Cork GAA — will be confirmed, the chairman said: “The new appointee won’t be commencing duties until county convention in December, so we are not in a rush to complete the process. Following shortlisting etc, we expect interviews will take place sometime in August with the appointment likely to be confirmed in early September.”
By Tony Leen Sports Editor Irish Examiner
