Tom Loftus (1917–2011; Irish: ''Tomás Ó Lochtuis'') was a former chairman of the Leinster Provincial Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).

Biography

Tom Loftus was born in Roscommon town,

County Roscommon "Steadfast Irish heart" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Roscommon.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Connacht , subdi ...

in 1917. His grandmother ran a

dispensary A dispensary is an office in a school, hospital, industrial plant, or other organization that dispenses medications, medical supplies, and in some cases even medical and dental treatment. In a traditional dispensary set-up, a pharmacist dispen ...

and his father was a journalist with the
Roscommon Herald
'. Loftus moved to Dublin in 1937 and married Ann Mooney in 1951. For most of his life he worked at the

Electricity Supply Board The Electricity Supply Board (ESB; ga, Bord Soláthair an Leictreachais) is a state owned (95%; the rest are owned by employees) electricity company operating in the Republic of Ireland. While historically a monopoly, the ESB now operates as ...

(ESB) in the city.

Career

Loftus was chairman of the Leinster Council from 1972–1974, was chairman of the Dublin County Board and was a longstanding member of the organisation. He stood twice for the position of president of the GAA, but was twice pipped at the post, once by his namesake Dr. Mick Loftus. During his period as Dublin Chairman, the team won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. In 1964, became the first chairman to bring his team to the United States, to raise awareness of the GAA in America. In 1965, Loftus was a member of the first GAA committee to examine Rule 27, which prevented members from playing, attending or promoting other sports. The rule was originally passed in 1902 and was intended as a way of safeguarding the GAA from the influence of non-gaelic sports, but ultimately resulted in the untimely demise of several promising careers within the organisation. The rule read "Any member of the association who plays or encourages in any way rugby, football, hockey or any imported game which is calculated to injuriously affect our national pastimes, is suspended from the association." The first GAA committee failed to make any recommendations and it wasn't until 1971 that the ban was removed from the rulebooks. Tom was also well known in Dublin for his weekly column in the '' Evening Press'' which he wrote throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Tom retired from his post in the ESB in 1977 and quickly became an advocate of junior level GAA, organising and coaching teams in

County Wicklow County Wicklow ( ; ga, Contae Chill Mhantáin ) is a county in Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is bordered by t ...

, particularly Bray Emmets and Kilmacud Crokes. After his retirement, Tom received numerous awards and recognitions of his contribution to the organisation. Until his death in 2011, he was the oldest living former chairman in the Gaelic Athletic Association

Successes

* ''1963'' Dublin won the All Ireland Football Final against Galway :Team: P. Flynn, L. Hickey, L. Foley, W. Casey, D. McKane, P. Holden, M. Kissane, D. Foley, John Timmons, B. McDonald, M. Whelan, G. Davey, S. Behan, D. Ferguson, N. Fox. Sub: P. Downey. * ''1965'' Dublin won the Leinster Senior Football Championship against

Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meet ...

External links

Chairmen of the Leinster Council

Chairmanships

{{DEFAULTSORT:Loftus, Thomas 1917 births 2011 deaths Chairmen of Gaelic games governing bodies Dublin County Board administrators ESB people Gaelic games administrators Irish columnists Leinster Provincial Council administrators