CEO Appointed for Tipperary GAA
Tipperary GAA are delighted to announce Murtagh Brennan as the new Head of Operations / CEO for Coiste Chontae Thiobraid Árann.
From Castleiney, Co. Tipperary, Murtagh has spent over twenty years serving his country, both at home and overseas, as an officer in the Defence Forces. Sports has been a constant and central theme throughout Murtagh’s professional and sporting life. As a player, he competed at all levels for his club Loughmore-Castleiney in both football and hurling, as well as playing third level GAA with University Limerick. Murtagh’s participation in training Defence Forces teams and athletes at participant and elite levels across a myriad of disciplines further proves that his life is immersed in sport, most particularly GAA. He has managed and coached teams at all grades at club level and in the Defence Forces. He has fulfilled the role of both Coach and S&C trainer with the Westmeath minor footballers, Rathcoffey senior football team in Kildare and Castledaly GAA club in Westmeath. Murtagh’s most notable achievement was his involvement as Coach and S&C Trainer for the Loughmore-Castleiney senior football and hurling teams in 2020 & 2021, which culminated in an historic double county final win.
His career as an Officer in the Defence Forces has been diverse and dynamic. In his present role as Assistant Director/Deputy Commanding Officer for the 120th Irish-Polish Battalion in Lebanon Murtagh is responsible for the leadership and management of 564 multi-national soldiers serving in the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Lebanon, acting as Chief of Staff for a robust infantry battalion.
After graduating with an honours Degree in Sports Science through University Limerick, Murtagh later completed a Master of Science in Sports Management in University College Dublin. This qualification provides graduates with the skills and expertise to manage high performance sport from governance policy to development and implementation of strategy through stakeholder engagement. Modules studied include Sport Governance and Law, Sport Leadership and People Management, Strategy and Operations Management in sports Organisations, Sports Marketing and Communications, The Management of High Performance Sport and Sport Event Management and Sustainability. Coupled with his experience of implementing these learnings in his role as Principal of the Defence Forces School of Physical Education, Murtagh has amassed significant expertise in the practice of managing the multi-dimensional elements associated with a professional high performance organisation. Furthermore, Murtagh completed an MSE in Leadership and Strategic Studies with Maynooth University and a certificate in workplace mediation
Tipperary GAA Chairman, Joe Kennedy, has welcomed the appointment.
“This is an excellent appointment for Tipperary GAA, Murtagh has vast experience from his previous positions with the Defence Forces and the GAA, we are delighted to have someone of Murtagh’s calibre on board with Tipperary GAA. The County Committee look forward to working with Murtagh in continuing to develop Gaelic Games in our County and wish him the best of luck as CEO.”
Murtagh will commence his position as Head of Operations / CEO on January 1st 2023