Official with strong Roscommon ties elected to top GAA position in Britain
Newly elected President of the British GAA council Sean Hopkins (right) with new Vice-President Michael Collins.
A Manchester native with strong Roscommon connections has recently been elected as President of the British GAA Council.
Sean Hopkins took up the top position after his election at the provincial council's convention held in London last weekend.
Mr Hopkins’ father John emigrated to the UK in 1952 from his home place in Cloonshannagh near Tarmonbarry, and went on to establish a very successful civil engineering company in Manchester. Mr Hopkin’s mother Maureen (nee Padden) is a native of Crossmolina.
The Manchester Gael has been steeped in the GAA from a young age and becomes just the third ever English-born British GAA President. He is also the first President from Manchester and the third from Lancashire.
Mr Hopkins founded the St. Peter's GAA club in the Northwest UK city back in the 1980s, becoming one of its driving forces. Under his stewardship, the club achieved much success over the years, including a string of Lancashire county championships and three All-Britain titles.
As St. Peter's noted, their clubman has also helped countless Irish players, homegrown players and non-players successfully settle and live around the Northwest over many years. A number of Roscommon natives also played for St. Peter's over the years, including former Eire Og players, Thomas, Richard and James Canny, Eamon Gallagher and John Fitzpatrick, along with former St. Dominic's player, Mal Gately.
He continued to develop his organisational skills on and off the pitch at county level, serving as chairperson of Lancashire GAA and as manager of the county football team for several years.
Recently, Mr Hopkins has spearheaded the development of youth activity in Lancashire, including organising the hugely successful Northern Community Gaelic Games where thousands of children experience Ireland’s native games over a week in Manchester.
Currently, he is involved in an ambitious £1.5m project to develop two full size Gaelic football pitches at Broughton park in Salford, Manchester.
Paying tribute to him on his top appointment, St. Peter’s GAA club said in a social media post: “We’re very proud of the journey Sean has undertaken and look forward to what he can achieve in the next part.” Lancashire GAA also wished him the very best on being ratified as council President.
The Provincial Council of Britain is the only Provincial Council of the GAA outside Ireland. It is made up of seven counties: Scotland, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Warwickshire, Hertfordshire, Gloucestershire and London with 86 clubs affiliated.
The Provincial Council is also responsible for Gaelic football and hurling which is played in primary schools, secondary schools and universities right across Britain.
