'Mary Coughlan is an ideal person to take over and lead Donegal GAA’

Former Donegal captain Pauric McShea has urged Mary Coughlan to consider going for the position of chairperson of the Donegal GAA County Board.

Coughlan is a former Fianna Fáil politician who served multiple roles, including as Tánaiste from 2008 to 2011, and is the current secretary of St Naul’s.

McShea, pictured, who captained Donegal to the 1974 Ulster title, is a weekly columnist with the Donegal Post made reference to former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese’s appointment as independent chairperson of the integration process between the GAA, Camogie Association and Ladies Gaelic Football Association. McAleese served as president from November 1997 to 2011.

“Mary McAleese was announced last week as the independent chair of the integration process to accelerate the amalgamation of the GAA with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association and the Camogie Association,” McShea said in McShea's Say.

“This is a wonderful appointment - not because the former President has such a high profile but because she has every attribute required to make an outstanding success of her new role.”
McShea added that with a new chairperson required by Donegal, believes Coughlan has all the attributes, making her a “quite outstanding candidate” to replace the outgoing Mick McGrath.

“On hearing about this appointment my mind immediately wandered back to Donegal and the fact that county chairman Mick McGrath is in the final months of his five-year term,” McShea added.

“When it comes to the appointment of a new chairperson, obviously commitment to club and county is a vital attribute and having GAA in your DNA is also a requirement. 

“For that reason, Mary Coughlan would seem like an ideal person to take over and lead Donegal GAA for the next five years. Mary has inherited her love of Gaelic Games from her dad Cathal and her two uncles Clement and Austin, who were all exceptional members of their club St Naul’s. 

“Mary has also put her shoulder to the wheel in her unstinting support for her club and her experience in her political career would make her a quite outstanding candidate for the position. 

“Croke Park made an excellent choice with the appointment of Mary McAleese to oversee the amalgamation. I believe that Donegal has an equally outstanding personality on our doorstep, who would do the Association proud if she was appointed to lead Donegal for the next five years.”