Sport

Who’s who on the Olympic Council of Ireland executive committee

Members include FAI chief executive John Delaney, seen as heir apparent to Pat Hickey

John Delaney and Pat Hickey at an Olympic Council of Ireland extraordinary meeting in 2008: the FAI chief executive has been touted as a possible successor at the head of the OCI. Photograph: James Crombie/INPHO
John Delaney and Pat Hickey at an Olympic Council of Ireland extraordinary meeting in 2008: the FAI chief executive has been touted as a possible successor at the head of the OCI. Photograph: James Crombie/INPHO
Ciarán D'Arcy
Sun Aug 21 2016 - 22:22

Patrick Hickey

Mr Hickey has temporarily stepped aside as OCI president and other Olympic roles as he is currently in Rio de Janeiro’s Bangu Prison after being implicated an inquiry into the alleged illegal sale of Olympic tickets. He has served as president of the OCI since 1989.

William O’Brien

Mr O’Brien has temporarily taken up the role of president in Mr Hickey’s absence. He comes from a background in archery and is veteran of the OCI board. Speaking after Mr Hickey’s arrest last week, he said the OCI “will defend ourselves to the hilt” in the situation it finds itself in.

John Delaney

Regarded by many as Hickey’s heir apparent for the role of OCI president, Mr Delaney has a high profile as chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland, a role he has held since 2005. He has in the past attracted criticism for a perceived lack of change in the upper echelons of the FAI during his stewardship and his salary has come under scrutiny despite his decision to take a voluntary 10 per cent pay cut.

Dermot Henihan

Mr Henihan is a former president of the Irish Amateur Rowing Union and holds the title of honorary general secretary of the OCI. He gave a very public vote of confidence to Hickey in 2001, when there was a heave against him.

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Kevin Kilty

Team Ireland’s chef de mission for the Rio Olympics, Mr Kilty is a renowned shooter. He will have had a tougher time than expected trying to maintain the athletes’ focus at the games given the various distractions that have arisen around the Irish camp over the last fortnight.

Sonia O’Sullivan

A 5000m silver medallist at the Sydney games in 2000, Ms O'Sullivan remains one of Ireland's most recognisable athletes. She has been on the board of the OCI since 2008. An outspoken critic of doping in sport, O'Sullivan has become an established media personality since her retirement from competitive racing and has done punditry work for RTÉ during the Rio Olympics, along with her Irish Times column.

Ciarán Ó Catháin

A respected figure in the athletics community, Prof Ó Catháin is a long-standing president of Athlone IT and is also the president of Athletics Ireland.

Darren O’Neill

The chairman of the Boxing Athletes’ Commission, Mr O’Neill represented Ireland at the 2012 Olympics in London. He regularly commentates on boxing for RTÉ.

Sarah Keane

Chief executive of Swim Ireland, Ms Keane is a practicing solicitor and is among the newer members of the OCI board, having been appointed in 2014.

Thomas Murphy

A decorated boxer during his own career, Mr Murphy went on to perform various administrative roles in the Irish Amateur Boxing Association including that of president, and joined the board of the OCI in 2014.

Robert Norwood

A former two-term president of the Ski Club of Ireland and current president of the Snowsports Association of Ireland, Norwood represents snowsports on the OCI board.

Tom Rafter

President of the Irish Fencing Federation, he has been on the OCI board since 1996. Rafter was Team Ireland's chef de mission for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Billy Kennedy

Once an Irish title winner and international cyclist, Mr Kennedy is another long-serving executive member.

Source: OCI website and OCI accounts