Wexford man Derek Kent is the new president-elect of the GAA following Friday night’s vote at Congress in Croke Park.
He will take over as the 42nd president from incumbent Jarlath Burns of Armagh this time next year on completion of the Ulsterman’s three years in office.
Kent was elected on 169 of the 227 votes cast, beating Tipperary's Ger Ryan and Sligo's John Murphy to surpass the quota of 139 on the first count.
Derek is a prominent member of the Taghmon-Camross club in the Model County and has served as chair of the Wexford County Board from 2017 until 2020 before a three-year term as chair of the Leinster Council from 2023 until just last month. He also chaired the GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee under previous president Larry McCarthy
“It's a great honor to be here tonight and I want to thank you all sincerely,” he declared in his acceptance speech.
He went on: “I will always do the right thing for the GAA and the first right thing I will do is to thank two great friends. And when I say friends, they have been really true, honest friends, both Ger and John. They are both gentlemen who have the GAA at heart and know the real meaning of the GAA.”
Kent will become the third GAA President from Wexford following in the footsteps of Michael Kehoe in the 1950s and Patrick Breen in the 1920s.
