Former Dublin midfielder Pat Gilroy is a surprise candidate to succeed Liam Mulvhill as the GAA's Director General. Longford man Mulvihill will step down from the role early next year after nearly 30 years of service, but the process of replacing him has been ongoing for the past number of weeks and is likely to be completed before Christmas. After initially considering in the region of 20 applicants, it's understood that the list of candidates is now down to three, including Gilroy who won an All-Ireland medal with Dublin in 1995 and saw action as a substitute in St. Vincent's Dublin SFC final victory over St. Brigid's last Monday night. Not surprisingly, the other two candidates are established names from within the Association - Croke Park Stadium Director Peter McKenna, who like Mulvihill hails from Longford, and the long-time favourite for the position, Player Welfare Manager and Monaghan native Paraic Duffy. Gilroy's family are steeped in the GAA, while he has a proven business pedigree too as managing director of Dalkia Ireland, a facilities management, energey management and mechanical, electrical and technical services firm. His father Jackie was a member of the Dublin team that beat Galway in the 1963 All-Ireland final. The GAA also intends creating a new position entitled Director of Operations to look after the day-to-day running of the association, and among the early favourites for this role are Leinster Council chairman and presidential candidate Liam O'Neill and former president Joe McDonagh. Tweet

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