Former Louth manager Peter Fitzpatrick has been elected as the new county board chairman.
Fitzpatrick, a local TD, formerly of Fine Gael but now independent, is thought likely to run in the general election which is set to take place next year, despite taking up this new role.
He succeeds Des Halpenny, who had served the maximum fives years in the chair, having decisively beaten Declan Byrne and Fra Kieran in a vote. Fitzpatrick received 83 votes compared to 24 and 22 respectively for his opponents.
Having represented the county as a player for many years, Fitzpatrick was appointed manager ahead of the 2010 campaign, in which he led Louth to a first Leinster final in 50 years though they were controversially deprived of victory when referee Martin Sludden wrongly allowed a late goal from Meath’s Joe Sheridan to stand.
He later won promotion to Division Two though though they didn’t scale the same heights in the Championship again.
Chief among Fitzpatrick’s ambitions as chairman will be the provision of a new stadium in Dundalk. He is already part of the committee driving this project, for which planning permission is still being sought, though local reports say that they are in line for a sports capital grant very shortly and that Fitzpatrick has spoken with Minister for Sport Shane Ross on the matter.
Elsewhere, Bob Doheny is the new Louth county secretary, with his predecessor Kieran slotting in as assistant secretary after serving the maximum five years in his previous role.
Sean McClean has been elected vice-chairman, Pat Toner was returned as the county’s Central Council delegate and Mark Byrne becomes PRO. The Leinster Council delegates will be Byrne and Padraig O’Connor.
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