Fianna Fáil’s former presidential candidate Jim Gavin offered an initial one-word response when asked how he deals with challenges in life and sport: “Resilience.”
The former Dublin GAA football manager was speaking at a fundraising lunch in Carlow in his first public appearance since ending his presidential election campaign last month amid controversy that he owed money to a former tenant.
“From a sporting perspective – life, business, aviation – every day, every week, you are meeting setbacks. Life is not linear [and] resilient people understand that,” he told the Club Carlow Business Summit, organised to raise money for Carlow GAA.
“It’s clunky; it’s full of cul-de-sacs. Resilient sports men and women understand that life is like that. It can be messy, it can be full of tragedy and upset.”
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He said the most important thing is “what you do next”.
“It’s always about the next ... phase and the next play,” he said.
Mr Gavin said he was sure there were people attending the Carlow event “where things didn’t go right for them”.
“But they have had to rely on that power [of resilience], the freedom to make that choice and get back in the driving seat.”
Asked by Newstalk presenter Ciara Doherty in a panel discussion how he was since ending the presidential campaign, Mr Gavin said he was “doing great”.
He made no reference during his public talk to the presidential campaign or to the €3,300 in rent he was overpaid 16 years ago – and had not repaid – to his former tenant, the deputy editor of the Sunday World Niall Donald, that cost him his presidential ambitions.
Mr Gavin subsequently repaid his former tenant after ending his campaign.
Asked at the Carlow event if he had relied on his resilience over the past few weeks, he said he had.
“My professional life is defined by that and public service, so if things don’t go well, I own it ... I’ve never given it to anyone else,” said Mr Gavin, who is chief operations officer with the Irish Aviation Authority.
He said there were phases during GAA games with Dublin when he managed the team where “things aren’t going well for you”.
“We never looked to blame anybody else. You move on to the next thing you want to do in life and that’s what resilience is all about,” he said.
“It’s about understanding [and] having power over your own destination.”
Mr Gavin remained on the presidential ballot paper in the October 24th election, despite stepping out of the race.
He secured 7 per cent of the vote, well behind winner Independent Catherine Connolly with 63 per cent, and Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys with 29 per cent.
Widely regarded as one of the best managers in GAA history, Mr Gavin won six All-Ireland titles with Dublin, including a record-breaking five in a row.
