Wexford’s Derek Kent has been elected as the 42nd President of the Gaelic Athletic Association, securing the role at the organisation’s Annual Congress at Croke Park on Friday evening.
Kent, a former Leinster GAA chairman, will succeed Jarlath Burns and take up office in 2027, serving a three-year term. He was elected on the first count, holding off competition from Ger Ryan of Tipperary and John Murphy of Sligo.
His election marks a return of the GAA presidency to Wexford for the first time in more than seven decades. Kent becomes the county’s third holder of the office, following Michael Kehoe (1949–52) and Patrick Breen (1924–26).
Kent served as Leinster chairman from 2023 until January of this year, having previously been Wexford county chairman between 2017 and 2020. A member of the Taghmon/Camross club, he has also held the role of Games Administrator in Wexford and served on the GAA’s Central Competitions Control Committee from 2021 to 2024.
During his tenure as Leinster chairman, Kent was closely involved in one of the most notable provincial championship developments in recent years — the decision to move the Leinster football semi-finals away from Croke Park. The move preceded a dramatic 2025 campaign in which Meath ended Dublin’s 14-year dominance in the province before Louth captured their first Leinster title since 1957.
Beyond competition structures, Kent has contributed extensively to governance and infrastructure planning within the Association. He served on the GAA’s National Infrastructure Committee for nine years, supporting the strategic development and enhancement of facilities across the country.
Off the field, Kent works with his family business, Kent Stainless Steel, balancing professional responsibilities with long-standing voluntary service to the Association.
His election comes at a pivotal moment for the GAA as it continues to navigate evolving championship formats, infrastructure investment, integration with the LGFA and Camogie Association, commercial growth and broader societal change. Congress delegates will now look to Kent’s leadership from 2027 as the Association continues its strategic planning for the remainder of the decade.
Kent’s term will formally begin at next year’s Congress, when he will assume the role of Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael, becoming the latest steward of Ireland’s most influential sporting and cultural organisations.
Image Credit: Sport for Business
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