David O’Connor Named as New Cricket Ireland President

David O'Connor takes over from Aideen Rice as the new Cricket Ireland President.

David O’Connor, who was the former Fingal County council mayor, has been named as the new Cricket Ireland President, replacing former President Aideen Rice. O’Connor served as the mayor of Fingal from 2015-26 but he recently stepped down from his Council duties after serving for almost 19 years, to take up his new role for the 2019-20 season. “I’m very proud to represent my club North County, Fingal and Leinster cricket by becoming president of Cricket Ireland. It will be an exciting year ahead, and one which I’m looking forward to watching Irish sidesmen, women, and underage – at home and on the world stage,” Cricket Ireland quoted O’Connor as saying in an official statement on Monday.

The former Cricket Ireland President Aideen Rice was appointed last year as Brian Walsh’s successor for the 2018-19 period. She was the first woman to hold the position since the organisation’s inception in 1923. “While it’s indeed a great honour personally, I’m very conscious of the footsteps I’m stepping into and am delighted to be following our first-ever woman president Aideen Rice. Aideen has done a fantastic job traveling Ireland and the world to represent us all,” O’Connor said.

“She had a lovely style and panache about her, she threw herself fully into the role. It was particularly great she was there for our women cricketers, and I hope I can continue to represent all cricketers – international and local – across Ireland, as well as Aideen, did,” he added. Rice, the former President reflected on her 12-month journey which includes Ireland’s Test match debut against Pakistan.

“There were so many highlights from the year – for me in the role it started with the first men’s Test match. Just the sheer scale of everything about it – the media, the hospitality, even the match itself, it swung around as a good Test Match should,” Cricket Ireland quoted Rice as saying in an official statement.

“The two T20Is against India – two 10,000 sell-out crowds – were also great occasions. And I was, of course, delighted to be in Guyana at the World Cup to represent a women’s team on the world stage,” she added.