Fáilte chuig gaa.ie - suíomh oifigiúil CLG

Oral History

Nickey (Nioclás) Brennan (Ó Braonáin)

Nickey Ó Braonáin talks in detail about his GAA experiences which have seen him progress from running out to play for his local club to rising to the very top of the Association. He recalls his youth in Kilkenny where he played at St Kieran’s College before going on to represent Kilkenny at minor, Under-21 and senior level, winning several All-Ireland titles along the way. During that time he also enjoyed success with his club Conaghy, going on to win a much-cherished junior championship. When his playing career ended he enjoyed a spell as a Kilkenny selector and manager, and was also chairman of the county board. That led to a seat on the Leinster Council and before long he was GAA President. This presented a whole new set of challenges that had to be met - coping with a rapidly changing economic climate, revamping the structures at Croke Park, overseeing the opening of the stadium to soccer and rugby, facilitating the visit of Queen Elizabeth of England and dealing with the GAA expansion at a phenomenal rate overseas. From being held aloft by friends and family on the turf at Croke Park upon winning an All-Ireland title, to the nerve-shredding experience of running for election as President at Congress, to reaching out to those within the GAA community hit by tragedy, to attending an Asian GAA Games in Malaysia, to the cut and thrust of Croke Park politics, to managing the Under-8s at his local club, Nickey has encountered all aspects of an Association that, even in 2011, never ceases to amaze him.