Louth GAA announce new Operations and Games Managers as debate sparks in Darver

Francie McMullen has been appointed Operations Manager of Louth GAA, with Shane Lennon stepping up to replace him as Games Manager within the county.

Chairman Des Halpenny announced the moves at Monday’s County Board meeting in Darver Centre of Excellence.

Mr Halpenny said McMullen’s new post would see him charged with a variety of roles, including working closely with executive committee members, aiding Louth GAA marketing campaigns and staying in close contact with sponsorship partners.

Armagh native McMullen has worked in the county for several years in the Games Manager void, with Mr Halpenny confirming that there were several applicants for the position.

However, when pressed for the exact number by St. Nicholas’ Jim McQuillan he said he wasn’t going into the applications.

This followed a lengthy debate involving Halpenny and vice-chairman Paddy McMahon with Naomh Máirtín’s Michael Boylan and Paddy Farrell of St. Bride’s, with the latter saying that they were “promoting failure” through the appointments.

Mr Halpenny swiftly moved to distance himself and everyone at the top table from those comments.

Meanwhile, Mr Boylan questioned the openness of the recruitment process, suggesting that the “process was definitely not transparent”, with Mr McQuillan later saying that people were being “recycled through the system”.

Each of the three delegates said they were unaware of the Operations Manager position’s availability, with Mr Boylan requesting details of the advertising campaign and Mr Farrell asking why the job wasn’t publicised in the local newspapers.

The chairman said there had been an intense process, involving Croke Park, to select a suitable candidate and that the position was advertised via Louth GAA’s social media platforms, elsewhere online and at a previous County Board meeting, which Mr Farrell disputed.

Mr McMahon took a dim view of the Naomh Máirtín representative’s assertion that the process hadn’t been ‘transparent’, saying that he was “very wrong to say so” and requested that he apologise and for the remark to be withdrawn.

Similarly, Mr Halpenny referred to Mr Boylan’s comments as “disingenuous”.

BREAKING: Media asked to leave tonight’s Louth GAA County Board meeting as delegates walk out