Pat Fanning

Pat Fanning

Personal information
Irish name	Pádraig Ó Fainín
Sport	Hurling
Position	Forward
Born	25 August 1918 Waterford
Died	14 March 2010 (aged 91)
Club(s)
Years	Club
1930s–1950s	Mount Sion
Club titles
Waterford titles	7
Inter-county(ies)
Years	County
1940s–1950s	Waterford
Inter-county titles
Munster titles	0
All-Irelands	0
NHL	0

Pat Fanning (25 August 1918 – 14 March 2010)^[1] was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Mount Sion and was a member of the Waterford senior inter-county team in the 1940s and 1950s. He won the county championship on seven occasions. Fanning also served as the 23rd President of the Gaelic Athletic Association from 1970 until 1973,^[2] and was honorary life president of Waterford's county board.^[3]

His election in succession of fellow Munster man Seamus Ryan marked the second time in history a province had consecutive Presidents of the Gaelic Athletic Association.^[4] Fanning was the former President of the Gaelic Athletic Association to have survived the longest after serving.^[5]

Presidency

Fanning's time as President of the Gaelic Athletic Association is remembered for the 1970 repealing of the ban on being associated with "foreign games".^[5][6] He had opposed the move, yet received praise for not objecting to the outcome of the national vote.^[6][7] When Croke Park admitted "foreign games" in 2005, Fanning said:

“

We were told in 1970 that rugby schools would embrace our games — not one rugby college relaxed their own severe ban on playing Gaelic Games and it resulted in a net loss for us . . . Opening Croke Park will double and treble the income of these other sports and give them more ammunition to intrude on our schools.[6]

”

Fanning also oversaw the introduction of senior club All-Irelands during his Presidency.^[8]

Other life

Fanning was employed by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs.^[5] In later years he continued to comment on matters related to the GAA.^[9]

He died early morning on 14 March 2010 at the age of 91.^[5] Tributes came from Christy Cooney, President of the Gaelic Athletic Association at the time of Fanning's death.^[5]

Honours

Fanning was honoured with the Appreciation Award at the Park Hotel in Dungarvan, County Waterford on 29 January 2005. The award was one of five given to Fanning, Paddy Joe Ryan (previously a county chairman), Seamas Grant (secretary), Tony Morrissey (treasurer), and Seamus O'Brien (a representative member of the Central Council), though Fanning spoke as a representative of them all.^[3]

External links

• Video of Christy Cooney's graveside oration at the funeral of Pat Fanning

References

1. "GAA chief oversaw scrapping of 'the ban'". The Irish Times. 20 March 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
2. "Death of former GAA president Pat Fanning". RTÉ. 14 March 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
3. John A Murphy (4 March 2005). "Ardmore’s night of nostalgia". The Waterford News & Star. Retrieved 14 March 2010. The “Appreciation Award’’ went to former GAA President and current honorary life president of the County Board Pat Fanning, former county chairmen Paddy Joe Ryan and “yours truly’’, the country’s longest serving county secretary Seamas Grant, county treasurer Tony Morrissey, and one of the greatest administrators of them all, Central Council representative Seamus O’Brien.
4. Eugene McGee (15 January 2008). "Election year wheeling and dealing is about to begin". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 March 2010. Of the last 20 GAA presidents seven were from Leinster, five each from Ulster and Munster and three from Connacht and on only two occasions did a province produce successive presidents. These were Dr Joe Stuart (1958) and Hugh Byrne (1961) from Leinster, and Seamus Ryan (1967) and Pat Fanning (1970) from Munster. Rather amazingly, Munster went 27 years without a president prior to Sean Kelly's election in 2003.
5. Seán Moran (15 March 2010). "Death of former president". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 March 2010. He was the longest-surviving ex-president, having served in office between 1970 and 1973.
6. Denis Walsh (17 April 2005). "Pro-lobby gets its reward after day of high drama". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
7. Seán Moran (12 April 2005). "Sowing the seeds for controversy". The Irish Times. Retrieved 14 March 2010. Although this reform was overwhelmingly carried by 30 counties (Sligo and Antrim dissenting) - as a result of a nationwide plebiscite conducted by clubs - it was opposed by then GAA president Pat Fanning, who won many plaudits for his dignified acceptance of the will of the membership.
8. Jack Mahon (17 March 2004). "GAA: Caltra’s fairytale journey reaches final destination". Western People. Retrieved 14 March 2010. Eventually in 1970 Bertie Coleman proposed the motion of the establishment of senior club All-Irelands at the GAA Congress in Galway in 1970, which was carried by 92 votes to 74 under the Presidency of Pat Fanning.
9. Sean Kilfeather (13 September 1999). "Perfect time to play out another draw". The Irish Times. Retrieved 14 March 2010. His assessment of the situation was endorsed by the former president of the GAA, Pat Fanning from Waterford: "It boils down to the fact that the two attacks were held by the two defences," he said.