Background

She was the daughter of GAA administrator Seamus Ó Floinn. She is a graduate of University College Cork (BA 1983) and University College Dublin (Masters in Equality Studies (1998).

Playing career

Her playing career stretched across three counties. She played with her native club Fr O’Neill’s from Ladysbridge/Ballymacoda parish in east Cork when they won their first Cork county championship, with London when they resumed inter-county camogie in 1987 and Celbridge, Co Kildare where she returned to live in 1994, where she played on their first Kildare championship winning team.

Administration

She was chair, secretary and PRO for Co Kildare Camogie Board, a member of Leinster Council, and chair of the National Strategic Plan committee for six years and a ememebr of Management Committee for three years before she defeated Antrim's Catherine O'Hara

Catherine O'Hara

Catherine Anne O'Hara is a Canadian-American actress and comedienne. She is well known for her comedy work on SCTV, and her roles in the films After Hours, Beetlejuice, Home Alone, and The Nightmare Before Christmas, and also in the mockumentary films written and directed by Christopher Guest...

 in a vote at Congress 2009 in Athlone to become the sport’s first president-elect.

Development Plan

A strategic review of the Association undertaken during iz Howards presidency led to a new six year National Development Plan, ‘Our Game Our Passion 2010-2015’, launched at Annual Congress in Newbridge

Newbridge, County Kildare

The earliest known mention of Newbridge was by traveller and bookseller John Dunton in 1698, though he does not refer to any settlement other than at Ballymany....

 in March 2010, with the aim of increasing affiliation from 540 clubs to 750, the membership base by 40pc and attendance levels to 60,000 at the annual All Ireland camogie final. A new Constitution for the Association were developed and ratified at a special Congress in Croke Park

Croke Park

Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...

 in May 2010. Camogie teams were also given greater access to inter-county grounds and camogie allied itself with a campaign to increase the coverage of women’s sport across all media.

Presidency

The Camogie Association's first Player Welfare Committee was established in 2009 and its first Inter County Referees Assessment Programme was established in 2010. First steps to establish underage camogie internationally (particularly in Britain and US) commenced in 2010. A new All Ireland Intermediate Club Championship was inaugurated in 2010.

Her brother Denis was a referee and is PRO of his native club, and her Presidency coincides with another East Cork native Christy Cooney

Christy Cooney

Christy Cooney is the current President of the Gaelic Athletic Association...

’s tenure as GAA President.

Professional Career and Writing

She worked in London as Policy and Information Worker for a charity working with vulnerable young Irish emigrants, worked for Combat Poverty Agency (1994–2009) as Head of Communications. and also spent time as a Programme Manager before becoming a civil servant in the Department of Community Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs.

She was editor of the quarterly journal Action on Poverty Today for fifteen years; editor of Poverty Policy and Practice Combat Poverty 1986-2009 Institute of Public Administration (2009); Rich and Poor, Perspectives on Tackling Inequality in Ireland Oak Tree Press (2001) and author of many other social policy titles and articles.

Her history of camogie in Kildare, Soaring Sliotars, was published in 2004.

External links

• Joan O’Flynn interview in Evening Herald Feb 9 2010
• Camogie.ie Official Camogie Association Website
• On The Ball Official Camogie Magazine Issue 1 and issue 2
• History of Camogie slideshow. presented by Cumann Camógaíochta Communications Committee at GAA Museum January 25, 2010 part one, part two, part three and part four
• Camogie on official GAA website
• Timeline: History of Camogie
• Camogie on GAA Oral History Project
• County and provincial websites: Antrim Armagh Clare Connacht Cork Derry Down Dublin Galway Kerry Kildare Kilkenny Leinster Limerick London Louth Meath Munster North America Offaly Tipperary Ulster Waterford Wexford Wicklow