Mullinahone.net

When he bought his young son “a real leather football” from “cheap (chape) Jack” at a fair in Callan in the very early 1960’s, little did the late Mikey Egan of Kilvemnon think that one day his young son would be elected to the highest office in the GAA in South Tipperary.

This incident was recalled on Sunday night in the GAA centre in Clonmel, as the young Dick Egan accepted the office of Chairman of the South Tipperary. A few minutes previously, Dick had been elected unopposed to the office, when the other Vice-Chairman of the board, Joe Brennan, Grangemockler had withdrawn from the election.

Dick was proposed for the office by Tommy O Sullivan of the Mullinahone club and seconded by Jimmy Bolger of the Grangemockler/ Ballyneale club. Later in the convention, Joe Brennan had a very impressive win in the election for Vice-Chairman. Dick Egan becomes the first ever Chairman of the board from the local Mullinahone club in over a century of the board’s existence.

As he accepted, the office and the challenge Dick spoke of others who had inspired him along the way. He spoke of the Sergeant in his army days in Naas, who told all the young men in his care to join the GAA and to be proud of their membership of that organisation. He told of the late John Costello who had invited him to become part of the administration of the Mullinahone club.

Dick was to serve the Mullinahone club well a both Chairman and Secretary during the rise to glory days and was also Chairman of the juvenile club. Dick was brought into divisional and county administration by another Mullinahone man at Bord na nOg level. Dick soon picked up the beliefs of his mentor Ricky Sheehan that officers were the servants of their clubs and boards and that every member of the GAA community deserved to be listened to.

This raised an echo of a previous generation when the late Mikey Egan spoke colourfully on behalf of the little man many times at GAA or local creamery suppliers level. Once at a GAA annual general meeting, he queried the spending of €150 on hurling in the club. This figure included affiliation fees, hurleys, sliothars. Mikey was not impressed. “Even the shamrocks of Ballyhale, wouldn’t spend that much and they are All Ireland Champions” he declared.

The wheel seems to have turned full circle again. The election has brought great honour to Dick and his family as well as to the Mullinahone club. Dick is extremely well known in the extended local area, where he is the face of Mullinahone Oil. Since he completed his stint in the army, Dick has been employed by Mullinahone Co-Op.

In his new GAA role, Dick is expected to be a steady pair of hands with a strong bias towards traditional values. We wish him every success in his new office. Present at his election in the GAA centre on Sunday night from Mullinahone were, Jackie Bolger, Kathleen McNamara and Rickie Sheehan as well as Tommy O Sullivan and Sean O Meara who were delegates from the Mullinahone club to the convention.

Well done Dick. Go mairfidh tu i bhfad.