Pat Fanning
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Pádraig Ó Fainín | ||
| Sport | Hurling | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Born |
25 August 1918 Waterford |
||
| Died | 14 March 2010 (aged 91) | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
| 1930s–1950s | Mount Sion | ||
| Club titles | |||
| Waterford titles | 7 | ||
| Inter-county(ies) | |||
| Years | County | ||
| 1940s–1950s | Waterford | ||
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Munster titles | 0 | ||
| All-Irelands | 0 | ||
| NHL | 0 | ||
Pat Fanning (25 August 1918 – 14 March 2010) was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Mount Sion and was a member of the Waterford senior inter-county team in the 1940s and 1950s. He won the county championship on seven occasions. Fanning also served as the 23rd President of the Gaelic Athletic Association from 1970 until 1973, and was honorary life president of Waterford's county board.
His election in succession of fellow Munster man Seamus Ryan marked the second time in history a province had consecutive Presidents of the Gaelic Athletic Association. Fanning was the former President of the Gaelic Athletic Association to have survived the longest after serving.
Fanning's time as President of the Gaelic Athletic Association is remembered for the 1970 repealing of the ban on being associated with "foreign games". He had opposed the move, yet received praise for not objecting to the outcome of the national vote. When Croke Park admitted "foreign games" in 2005, Fanning said:
Fanning also oversaw the introduction of senior club All-Irelands during his Presidency.
Fanning was employed by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. In later years he continued to comment on matters related to the GAA.
He died early morning on 14 March 2010 at the age of 91. Tributes came from Christy Cooney, President of the Gaelic Athletic Association at the time of Fanning's death.
Fanning was honoured with the Appreciation Award at the Park Hotel in Dungarvan, County Waterford on 29 January 2005. The award was one of five given to Fanning, Paddy Joe Ryan (previously a county chairman), Seamas Grant (secretary), Tony Morrissey (treasurer), and Seamus O'Brien (a representative member of the Central Council), though Fanning spoke as a representative of them all.
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