An "overwhelmed" Larry McCarthy was lost for words after being elected President of the GAA, the first time ever that an overseas candidate has assumed the role.
McCarthy was elected the first overseas president of the GAA in a historic and dramatic vote at Congress on February 28.
The New York candidate will assume the role of president next year and will hold the title until 2024. He will replace the outgoing John Horan to become the 40th President of the GAA.
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McCarthy was elected on the fourth count with 142 votes and beat Jarlath Burns, his closest rival, by 10 votes.
In his acceptance speech, McCarthy said that the campaign was a "wonderful, hard-fought campaign," and thanked his fellow candidates for their courage throughout the campaign.
He also thanked the New York Sligo GAA club, who nominated him for the role last September.
The newly-elected president finished his speech by saying "I'll see yous all in Ned's."
Ned Devine's is a pub on McLean Avenue in the Bronx where the New York GAA is "discussed, argued, and sometimes even fought over," according to McCarthy.
McCarthy was echoing the words of former Dublin captain Bryan Cullen, who famously shouted: "I'll see yous all in Coppers" after leading Dublin to the All Ireland football title in 2011.
McCarthy, however, said he has no intention of ever setting foot in the renowned Irish establishment in his life.
Larry Mc Carthy ...from New York gave me a few words after his exciting victory in an incredibly tense election to become the next President of the GAA . @RTEsport @RTEgaa @TheSundayGame @NewYorkGAA pic.twitter.com/WfRIuxEB4p
— Marty Morrissey (@MartyM_RTE) February 28, 2020
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The vote was highly dramatic.
Both McCarthy and Burns were locked on 110 votes each after the third count, but McCarthy surged past the quota of 139 with the transfers he received from the unsuccessful Jim Bolger. He trailed Burns by 17 votes after the first count.
McCarthy was lost for words when he spoke to RTÉ's Marty Morrissey after the vote.
"It was an exhausting count," he said. "It worked out in the end but it proved that the No 2 votes were decisive in this election."
McCarthy campaigned on a number of issues and said that he would try to balance the tensions within the GAA.
"I identify three [issues] currently: obviously the club versus county fixtures; between colleges and schools and the under-20 football championship; and then managing the GPA and our relationship with county players."
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He said that the outstanding duty of the president is to ensure that most people are satisfied and told the Irish Times that his background in sports management would bring a different perspective to the role.
Born in Cork, McCarthy moved to New York in 1985 to do a master's degree.
He has served as Secretary of New York GAA for six years and Chairman for three and has close ties to the Sligo GAA club in the city.
He works as a lecturer in Sports Management at Seton Hall University.
He will reportedly move back to Ireland to serve his three-year term as president.
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