Ireland’s first female GAA county chairperson Roisín Jordan hopes her appointment opens the way for other women in sport to get involved at the very highest level.
Jordan last night made history when the former camogie player became Tyrone’s chairperson after being elected to the position unopposed, taking over from Ciarán McLaughlin, who stepped down after completing his five-year term.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport, Jordan said: “In Tyrone we have a lot of women who are already involved in different sub-committees and even in clubs now there’s now more women becoming chairpersons.
“But this has opened the way for a lot of women to take that step and move on to higher and better positions.
“But this has opened the way for a lot of women to take that step and move on to higher and better positions" - Roisín Jordan
“It’s not going to be an easy job but I look forward to the challenges and I hope to maintain the highest standards set by my predecessors.
“It’d be nice to see us bringing Sam Maguire back home again!”
Jordan admitted she deliberated for a long while whether to put her name forward for the role, and it was ultimately a family decision to go ahead.
“Over the last two years I’d thought about it but never really made a decision,” she said.
“And then in the last year my husband and I, along with my children, talked about it and then I decided I would put my name forward for nomination, and last night I was elected.”
#GAA history made in @TyroneGAALive last night as Roisin Jordan elected new county chairperson http://t.co/XsfTb75Jep pic.twitter.com/bTp8UlMvKV
— The GAA (@officialgaa) December 10, 2014Jordan, who was previously Tyrone vice-chair and had also held the position of club secretary at Eglish, said she had had great support from her male colleagues over the years.
“In all the time I’ve been involved in the GAA the men have been fantastic towards me. I’ve always had great respect from them.
“We’ve always got on well. I’ve worked with quite alot of men as a vice-chairperson and when I was secretary in Eglish.
“I always had a great relationship with Ciaran [McLoughlin] and we never any differences and I’ve always been treated the same as everybody.”
GAA president Liam O'Neill welcomed the appointment and said it was only a matter of time before a woman is elected to the Association's top job.
“People ask us will there be a women President of the GAA? Of course there will,” he told the Irish Examiner. “But it takes time. You have to have a body of people.
"People ask us will there be a women President of the GAA? Of course there will." - Liam O'Neill
“It takes a while to build up a critical mass of women who are involved, and then bring forward someone who is top of their administration.
“Women are only in administration in senior positions 20 years. It took me 36 years to become President. So you can’t expect things to happen over night.
"There is a natural progression. You have to show your credentials along the way. The great thing about this is that once the barrier is broken, others will follow and it will seem more natural now.
“This is a smooth transition in Tyrone. She’s a competent person and I think it’s paved the way for the future by virtue of the fact that others will see it now as a possibility to do what she has.”
“I commend Tyrone for being first. They’re open minded and they have a good history of throwing up good administrators. This is just one more good appointment.”
