Delegates were glowing in their tributes to outgoing chairman John Kavanagh who stepped down from the position after almost four years at the helm at last night’s county convention.

Cathal Joyce told delegates that in time John Kavanagh would go down in history as one of the great chairmen.

Leinster Council delegate Mairead Delaney thanked Kavanagh for his guidance and assistance during her time as secretary and for his running of Meath GAA over the past four years.

Keith Loughman said that the seeds for the All-Ireland minor football success in 2021 were sewn 10 years earlier when John Kavanagh and others set up the Schools of Excellence. 

Joseph O’Brien said one of John Kavanagh’s greatest achievements was the raising of so much money for Pairc Tailteann and the county was now in a position to advance with development that will make the grounds one of the best stadiums in the country.

In his secretary’s report Ciaran Flynn said Kavanagh demonstrated a unique ability to balance the immediate needs of the county committee with the long-term vision for Meath GAA. 

“His tenure was characterised by a pragmatic yet progressive approach, whether dealing with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic or advancing the development of Gaelic games in the county,” Flynn remarked.

“He navigated the challenges with grace, led with integrity, and always placed the interests of Meath GAA at the forefront. His impact on the organization will be felt for many years to come, and his presence at the helm will be deeply missed. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours and thank him sincerely for his extraordinary service to Meath GAA,” the secretary concluded.

Chairman's address

In a comprehensive address to convention chairman John Kavanagh said 2023 was a relatively successful year for county teams with the footballers winning the Tailteann Cup and the hurlers the Christy Ring and promotion in the league, while the minor hurlers won the Peadar Lehane Cup.

“We didn't expect to be in the Tailteann Cup, but after the dark days of the Leinster championship exit it was great to enjoy the brighter day in July in Croke Park,” Kavanagh said.

“Hopefully that Tailteann Cup success will be a stepping stone to bringing back Meath football to where we feel it belongs.” 

Kavanagh outlined his reasons for stepping down after four years as chairman.

"As I could no longer give 100% it is only right that I step away. I was urged to stay on, do my last year and Dunganny being completed would be my legacy. However I have never done this for personal plaudits and I hope nobody runs for position for their own ego or personal agenda. We are here for the 60 clubs.

"For me our most important job is to promote our games. Our CCC has done a remarkable job and continues to do so.

“This year they produced a planner as usual and included dates for fixtures. There has been an astonishing schedule of games. Maybe instead of clubs blaming the CCC, they should look at themselves. There was plenty of notice given for fixtures and yet several requests for changes at the last minute were submitted to the CCC. Maybe club delegates should be making players aware of the fixture planner.”

Kavanagh also gave updates on the redevelopment of Pair Tailteann and Dunganny 

"Back in 2019 when I was first elected Pairc Tailteann and its redevelopment was high on our agenda. Then Covid-19 hit hard and the cost of construction spiraled and Pairc Tailteann had to be put on hold. Times and circumstances have changed and now we have plans to demolish the existing stand and construct a new one on the south side of the ground. Alternative plans have been drawn up and will be finalized shortly and be displayed to the clubs.

“Last week we received news of an allocation of €2,309,000 from the Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund scheme. We now have €8.5m from the LSSIF, €2.6m from Croke Park, €800k from Leinster Council, €2million from the Immigrant Investor Programme. We have applications from 27 other donors from IIP and we are awaiting approval from government on these applications.

“I am very content and happy with the prudent approach Meath GAA has taken and I would be quite confident that work will commence by the middle of 2024.

“Huge thanks to Pairc Tailteann CLG, in particular Noel Dempsey, Seamus Kenny and Liam Mulvihill.

“We have started development of three new pitches in Dunganny. The bad weather has caused a delay and seeding will not take place until early next year and the use of the new facilities will be pushed back a few months.

“In order to finance both Dunganny and Pairc Tailteann we have established race day and golf classic, but we need another major fundraiser.”

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