By Randal Scally
Offaly has some exceptional female GAA volunteers and foremost among them is Topic’s very own Mary Dunne, who has given incredible service to her club and county in an administrative capacity over the past two decades.
Mary is a familiar and friendly face to many in the Faithful County thanks to her involvement in GAA administration at every level since the late 1990s. She has juggled her role as secretary of her beloved Ballyfore with a variety of positions on the county board along with her work for the Offaly Topic, which involves reporting on all the big football and hurling matches throughout the season.
“You do it because you love it,” explains Mary, who is a sports journalist by profession, but currently works in the civil service.
“Any role I take on, I give it 100%. I try to do things to the best of my ability and be as helpful and as selfless as I possibly can. There’s always an endless amount of work to be done when you’re involved with a club or county board. I love the involvement more than anything else. The GAA is an addiction and I love to be in the thick of it.”