Mary Lynch

Mary Kelly-Lynch (Máire Uí Loinsigh) was the 20th president of the Camogie Association.

She was introduced to camogie at secondary school in her native Carrickmacross and played for the county while still at school. She joined Celtic club after moving to Dublin, and won All Ireland medals partnering Kathleen Cody at midfield.

After marrying Willie Lynch she returned to Carrickmacross, reorganising camogie in the county as county chair and trainer manager for Monaghan senior and junior teams. She continued to play and won a Monaghan Intermediate Championship medal with Carrickmacross in 1978. She served on the first primary schools committee, later chaired the fixtures committee and in 1985 was elected president of the association without opposition, having unsuccessfully contested the 1982 election. She inherited an association facing severe financial problems.

She established a commission to look at all aspects of camogie under the chair of Eithne Neville. In her term of office camogie teams were allowed to wear sponsors logos on their jerseys, London re-entered the championship, and the first experiments were conducted with 15-a-side and a full-size pitch, a move eventually introduced in 2000.

In 1986 administration, referee and public relations training programmes were developed, national development seminars were held, and the Association joined the National Coaching Training Centre programme.

She also served on Care of the Aged, Girl Guides, youth and recreational organisations, and social services.