James Nowlan

Who was James Nowlan?

James Nowlan or 20 June 1924 was the President of the Gaelic Athletic Association from 1901 to 1921 and is the longest serving president of the organisation. He was also a Sinn Féin representative and member of the Gaelic League. In 2009 he was named in the Sunday Tribune's list of the 125 Most Influential People In GAA History.

Nowlan was born in Monsterevin in 1862 as he is listed in the local church as baptised, Cowpasture, Monasterevin, Co. Kildare in 25.5.1862. His father Patrick Nowlan an early member of the IRB and friend of James Stephens, was a cooper from Kilkenny city and who more than likely moved to work at Cassidy's whiskey monasterevin A member of the Gaelic League, he was a lifelong supporter of the Irish language revival movement and a supporter of Sinn Féin from its foundation in 1905. In 1898 he was elected an alderman of Kilkenny Corporation, and used his time in the position to help promote the GAA, which having been set up 14 years prior was a relatively new organisation at the time. In 1900 he became the first chairman of the Leinster Council of the GAA. He was elected President of the national GAA at the 1901 Congress held in September of that year.