Larry McCarthy has been elected as the 40th GAA president after winning a dramatic vote at Congress.
The New York candidate was elected on the fourth count after receiving 142 votes, 10 more than Jarlath Burns, and becomes the first overseas president.
McCarthy trailed Burns by 17 votes after the first count but made big gains as the votes of eliminated candidates Jerry O'Sullivan and Mick Rock were distributed.
The pair were locked on 110 votes after the third count but the distribution of Jim Bolger’s votes got McCarthy past the quota of 139.
Larry Mc Carthy ...from New York gave me a few words after his exciting victory in an incredibly tense election to become the next President of the GAA . @RTEsport @RTEgaa @TheSundayGame @NewYorkGAA pic.twitter.com/WfRIuxEB4p
— Marty Morrissey (@MartyM_RTE) February 28, 2020
The president-elect will take over from John Horan next year and will occupy the role until 2024.
"It was an exhausting count," McCarthy told RTÉ's Marty Morrissey. "It worked out in the end but it proved that the No 2 votes were decisive in this election.
"The ability to get those was what carried me over the line."
McCarthy was born in Cork, where his home club was Bishopstown, and he won an All-Ireland club football title with Thomond College (Limerick) in 1978.
After a couple of years teaching in Malahide and playing with Raheny, he emigrated to New York in 1985 to do a Masters degree. He is involved with the Sligo football club in New York, and has served with New York GAA for a long time, as secretary for six years and chairman for three years.
He works as a lecturer in Sports Management in Seton Hall University.
McCarthy intends to return to Ireland for his three-year term.
Meanwhile, a motion to ban a player receiving a kick-out from passing it back to the goalkeeper was passed.
It read: "This motion proposes a rule amendment that any player who receives a kick-out cannot pass it back to his goalkeeper.
"The penalty proposed for a breach of this rule would be a free-kick awarded to the opposition from the position the goalkeeper receives the pass, or if the goalkeeper is inside the 13m line when in receipt of the pass the free will be from the 13m line opposite where the foul occurs."
A motion relating to maor foirne was also debated but fell just short of the required 60% to succeed.
"This motion proposes that a referee must first give permission to a team medical officer or another authorised official before they can enter the field of play to examine an injured player."
Congress continues on Saturday.
