John Henry "Jack" Boothman (12 October 1935 – 10 May 2016) was the 31st

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

of the

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include t ...

(GAA) between 1994 and 1997. He was an active member of his local

Blessington GAA Blessington Gaelic Athletic Association is a Gaelic football, hurling, camogie and ladies' Gaelic football club based in Blessington, County Wicklow, Ireland. History The club was founded in 1909, initially playing its games in the Burgage near ...

club in County Wicklow. He was chairman of the

Leinster Council The Leinster Council is a provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County ...

from 1987 until 1989. He was elected as president of the Association and took up the position in 1994. Boothman championed the abolition of

Rule 21 Rule 21 of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) was a rule in force from 1897 to 2001 which banned members of the British security forces from membership of the GAA and thus from playing Gaelic games. The affected organisations included the Bri ...

, which debarred members of the British security forces from joining the GAA. However, Boothman opposed the opening up of Croke Park to international soccer and rugby, feeling that it would be a "disastrous mistake" for the GAA to benefit competing sports so significantly. A member of the

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the secon ...

and past pupil of The King's Hospital, Dublin, Boothman was the first

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

president of the GAA.BOOTHMAN SEEKS TO ESTABLISH GAA DOMINANCE
BNET.com Until his death at the age of 80 in 2016, he still held the position of President within his own local club.

References

1935 births 2016 deaths Chairmen of Gaelic games governing bodies Gaelic games club administrators Leinster Provincial Council administrators People educated at The King's Hospital People from Blessington Presidents of the Gaelic Athletic Association {{GAA-bio-stub