Whilst this year's AGM produced few shocks
or surprises those members who did attend were treated
to the first election race in a number of years, thanks
to the entry of Brendan Mackin to the race for the Vice-Chairman's
seat. And whereas either opponent were more likely to
set foot in the White Fort rather than the White House
the election was no less hotly contested.
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The mood in the Mackin Camp was upbeat on the
morning of the AGM, so much so that Campaign Manager
Ronan Heenan was reportedly quoted as saying "Mackin
will romp it".
Mackin '05 communications director Fergal Collins
was also on hand with a soundbite "Mackin's
gonna send Gatlin packin".
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Michael Gannon wishes his
opponent Brendan Mackin all the
best prior to the election
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It appears that Brendan's decision
to run was made back in March after the now infamous
McVitiegate scandal (McVities Milk Chocolate Digestive
incident in County Laois). His experience of the stolen
biscuits made him determined to make sweeping changes.
When asked about McVitiegate he was in philosophical
form: "It doen't matter that the biscuits were
milk chocolate, they could have been ginger nuts, custard
creams, or even fig rolls, the point was that they were
mine and someone ate them".
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Election Chart
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Whilst suspicion still lies largely at the
door of his own campaign team the mystery to
this day remains unsolved.
Undoubtedly running on a 'milk chocolate digestives
at every committee meeting' ticket certainly
produced plenty of backers, as the chart opposite
shows.
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However it wasn't to be as the current
Vice Chairman did just enough to retain his position.
Many experts feel that it was his ability to sing classic
ballads, such as "American Pie", in front
of the entire club that swung the popular vote.
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Vice-Chairman Michael Gannon gracious in victory
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Ever the consumate statesman Michael Gannon
paid tribute to his opponent and his campaign
team: "Mackin was a fierce and determined
opponent. There's certainly no question that
if it was an arm-wrestling competition or a
digestive eating competition who would have
won".
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On a more serious note the club congratulates
Gerry Burns on his appointment as a new Vice President,
joining Tommy Hoey and Patsy Crawford.
The new committee is made up as follows
and the club wishes them all well:
Chairman: Tony
McNulty
Vice-Chairman:
Michael Gannon
Secretary: Rory
Best
Asst. Secretary:
Stephen McCann
Treasurer: Barry
Mulgrew
Asst. Treasurer:
Eamon Henry
County Delegates:
Tommy Hall, Paddy Williams
South Antrim
Delegate: Paddy Morgan, Paddy Williams
P.R.O: Raff Gatt
Committee members:
Jim Gough, Brendan Mackin, Ann Jackson, Paul Morgan,
Tommy Doyle, Martin Crummey
