JARLATH Burns, the President-Elect of the GAA, will be in conversation with fellow Armagh man Professor Peter Finn this Friday as part of Feile an Phobail.
The event, organised by the Feile’s debate and discussions committee, will take place at 7pm on Friday, August 4, at St Mary’s University College on the Falls Road in Belfast.
Silverbridge man Burns attended ‘The Ranch’ and played under the guidance of Finn, who is the long-serving Principal of the college. Together they helped St Mary’s win their first Sigerson Cup in 1989, in a team that included Pascal Canavan and Benny Tierney.
Burns will take over the leadership of the Gaelic Athletic Association next year from Larry McCarthy and is one of the most erudite voices around.
Burns captained Armagh to the Ulster SFC title in 1999, ending a 17-year wait for provincial success by the Orchard County, and sparking their dominance of the next decade in the Ulster – also paving their way for All-Ireland glory in 2002.
Off the pitch, Burns has been principal of St Paul’s High School, Bessbrook, for a decade, and had a spell as a GAA pundit with BBC NI, RTE, and TG4.
A strong advocate of Scor, Burns also managed the Ireland Women’s International Rules team to a series victory over Australia in 2006.
The conversation no doubt will cover various aspects of sport, politics, and society, including Burns’s vision for the future direction of the GAA.
Admission to this event is free and no booking is required.
