Rory Kiely

Rory Kiely recalls his youth in rural Limerick, where he played hurling with his friends and at school. He went to secondary school in Charleville and also played hurling there, before returning home to work on the farm. He and his friends decided to set up a local club and Rory was very much involved, getting his first taste of administrative work along the way. The club soon joined up with another local club and that offered Rory a valuable lesson in diplomacy. He thrived in the administrative arena and rose through the ranks of the GAA, going from club level all the way up to Central Council and eventually being made a trustee of the GAA. He also found time to serve in the Seanad, where he acted as Cathaoirleach. Rory gives his opinions on issues such as the lifting of the Ban, the opening of Croke Park and the increasing number of disputes at inter-county level - something he is all too aware of due to the 2009/2010 fall-out in Limerick over the manager of the senior hurling team. He is a traditionalist at heart but also a firm democrat who is willing to move with the times, his chief concern being the preservation of a successful Association where people work together in harmony for the sake of the greater good.