GAA officials from all over the world will descend on Mullingar on the weekend of April 17-19 for Congress 2011, which is being hosted by Westmeath for the first time.

The spotlight will be firmly on Westmeath GAA next month when the Mullingar Park Hotel hosts Congress on the 17th, 18th and 19th of April.
It will be first time the GAA's annual gathering will take place in Westmeath. Ironically, it was a Lake County motion tabled by the late Paul Dunican from Kilbeggan many years ago, which led to Congress being moved away from its original permanent base of the Gresham Hotel in Dublin.
As one of the biggest events on the GAA calendar, hosting Congress is a huge undertaking for any county, but it's a challenge Westmeath GAA is ready to meet head on. With 700 people expected to descend on Mullingar for Congress, local businesses will receive a timely boost during these difficult economic times.
"It's a significant event to bring to the county which will give the local economy a much-needed shot in the arm," enthuses former Central Council delegate Liam Martin, who was instrumental in bringing Congress 2011 to his hometown of Mullingar.
"It promises to be a memorable occasion for Westmeath GAA. Congress will bring 700 people into Mullingar and all the hotels in the area have been booked out well in advance. The spin-off for local businesses will be huge."
Having sat on Central Council for 15 years until 2009 when he was succeeded by former county board chairman Seamus O Faolain, served on the old Games Administration Committee (GAC) from 2000-2003 and on the high-powered Management Committee from 2005-2008, Liam was ideally placed to campaign for Westmeath to host Congress within the corridors of power in Croke Park.
"During my time on Central Council, I got an incline of how the system works," the St. Loman's clubman explains.
"I saw how Congress moved to different parts of the country every year and it even went to London in 1996. I often said to myself 'wouldn't it be great if Westmeath could host it'. We didn't have a big enough venue until the Mullingar Park Hotel was built. I attended the Ladies Association's Congress there a couple of years ago, and I could see that it would make an ideal venue for GAA Congress.
"It's facilities and location in the middle of Ireland were big selling points. The fact that the hotel is situated just off the M4 Motorway was also a big factor in securing Congress."
Liam continues: "We (Westmeath county board) applied to host Congress during Nicky Brennan's last year as GAA president. Down had made a similar application to host it last year to coincide with the 50th anniversary of their first All-Ireland senior football victory in 1960. Thankfully, the GAA looked favourably upon our request to host it this year. As you could imagine, we were thrilled when the announcement was made at the end of 2009."
Congress is the only GAA meeting that has the power to make changes to the Official Guide. It is a democratic meeting in which delegates from GAA county boards and provincial councils have speaking and voting rights. Every three years, a new GAA president is chosen. This year, Laois man and former Leinster Council chairman Liam O'Neill, will be elected unopposed, but won't take up office until 2012 when incumbent Christy Cooney's term is complete.
Congress can attract a lot of public attention depending on what issues are being voted upon. For example, the 2001 Congress was watched closely when it voted to overturn Rule 21 - the ban on members of the British security forces from GAA membership Similarly, the 2005 Congress attracted a lot of attention when it voted for a relaxation of Rule 42, which allowed soccer and rugby to played at Croke Park while Lansdowne Road, or the Aviva Stadium, was being redeveloped.
Liam expects Congress to be a "lively affair", despite the lack of controversial motions and a presidential election following the withdrawal of Tom Daly (Donegal), Con Hogan (Tipperary) and Sheamus Howlin (Wexford) from the race.
"Liam O'Neill's election will be a formality now," he says.
"Had the other candidates decided to run, there would have been huge interest in the election on the Friday night. But I still think there will be plenty of interest and debate regarding the motions on Saturday."
A busy weekend will get underway on Thursday night when Management Committee meets with overseas delegates. This will be followed by a Management Committee meeting on Friday morning and the staging of three different workshops in the afternoon. A meeting of Central Council and the unveiling of a special bust of legendary sports commentator Micheal O'Hehir in Cusack Park will precede Congress, which is due to start at 7.30pm.
Congress will continue throughout Saturday with the weekend's proceedings culminating in the staging of the Congress Ball on Saturday night.
One of the highlights of the weekend is expected to be unveiling of the Micheal O'Hehir bust by GAA president Christy Cooney. Members of the O'Hehir family will be present to witness the unveiling of the bust of their late father, who made his first broadcast from Cusack Park in 1938 when Monaghan played Galway in the All-Ireland football semi-final.
Addressing delegates at last December's Westmeath convention, county chairman Tom Farrell said: "He is an iconic figure to all GAA followers, as he was the voice of the people at home and abroad during his career. He was the link that kept people abroad thinking of home and paramount to the promotion of the GAA in all corners of the world."
Liam Martin says there is a real sense of pride among Westmeath Gaels about staging Congress and he is in no doubt that the county's 47 clubs and members will ensure that it is the most successful Congress yet.
"The clubs are very excited about this prestigious event coming to Mullingar and are up for whatever challenge it will present. We are looking for volunteers to help out with car parking, security and the roaming mics.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for us to demonstrate what's good about the midlands and what the region has to offer for visitors. The county board has organised a tour of Westmeath for the partners of delegates on the Saturday, and I'm sure this gesture will be well received," Martin concludes. Tweet

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