Former GAA President Paddy McFlynn meets President of Ireland Michael D Higgins at the 2013 GAA Annual Congress in Derry. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin.
Coiste Contae Dhoire are saddened to learn of the death of one of our former county secretary and GAA President, Paddy McFlynn.
On behalf of all of Gaels within Derry GAA, we extend our deepest sympathies to Paddy’s family and wish them strength at this time.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal.
(excerpt from a piece written in April 2013 following GAA Congress in Derry)
Amongst the gathering of three hundred and fifty delegates was a young-at-heart, ninety four year old man who has surely created a national record for the most Congresses attended. Almost seventy years ago, in the mid 1940's, he attended his first Congress in Dublin and he has missed very few ever since. To put the enormity of that achievement into perspective the vast percentage of those who attended this year's event were not even born when our legendary personality made his Congress debut.
Paddy MacFlynn was born in Magherafelt in 1918 and became a founder member of the local O'Donovan Rossa's club as well as its first secretary, at the tender age of sixteen, in 1934. As a player Paddy was also a member of Derry's first County Minor team and he won a Senior County Championship medal with Magherafelt in 1942. After representing Derry, in an administrative capacity, at Ulster and Central Council levels he moved to Ballynahinch in Down to take up a Primary teaching post in the late forties. In 1953 he was appointed Principal of Gilford Primary School in the parish of Tullylish, which was the home place of the famed McCartan brothers of the 1960s Senior All Ireland winning teams.
In quick succession he became Chairman of the East Down District Board as well as the Mourne County's representative on the Ulster GAA Council, becoming its Chairman between 1961 and 1963. For the eighteen years between 1955 and 1973, the multi talented South Derry native served as treasurer of the Down County Board. In 1964 he was selected as Down's representative on the Central council and he remained in that position until he was chosen as the first President-elect of the Association in 1978. The following year saw him assume the illustrious office of President of the GAA. To date this most quiet and unassuming of Gaels has given over three quarters of a century of total commitment to every facet of Ireland's premier organisation. He really epitomises what loyalty to the ideals of the founding fathers of the GAA is all about.
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