Jim Gavin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Commandant
Jim Gavin
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg)
Gavin in 2020
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 1 July 1971 Dublin, Ireland |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Fianna Fáil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Jennifer Gavin (m. 2000) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Military service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allegiance |  Ireland |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Branch/service |  Air Corps |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years of service | 1990–2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank |  Commandant (OF-3) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commands | Chief Flying Instructor, Flying Training School Chief of Military Aviation MINURCAT |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Battles/wars | MINURCAT (Chad) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jim Gavin (born on 1 July 1971) is a well-known Irish person. He has had many important jobs. He was a senior officer in the Irish military and worked for the public. He is also famous as a Gaelic football player and manager. Many people think he is one of the best Gaelic football managers ever. He led the senior Dublin team from 2012 to 2019. During this time, Dublin won more major titles than ever before. He also worked in the Irish Air Corps, helping with UN peacekeeping missions. Later, he was in charge of air safety in Ireland. He was nominated for the 2025 Irish presidential election, but he withdrew from the race on 5 October 2025.
Contents
Jim Gavin's Early Life
Jim Gavin was born in Clondalkin, a town in Dublin, Ireland. His parents came from County Clare. His father, Jim Senior, was also a talented Gaelic player. He even coached local teams. Jim's grandfathers were involved in the Irish War of Independence.
When Jim was a student at Clonburris Primary School, he was a great athlete. He won six Cumann na mBunscoil finals in Croke Park. These wins included three in Gaelic football and three in hurling.
At 18, Jim joined the Irish military. He started as a cadet. He worked his way up to a senior officer rank called Commandant. As a Commandant, he helped lead a UN peacekeeping mission in Chad.
Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA)
Playing Gaelic Football
Jim went to Moyle Park College and played on their team. He also played for his local club, Round Towers. His skills were so good that he was chosen to play for the senior Dublin team in 1993.
Because he was training to be a military pilot with the Irish Air Corps, he couldn't play for the under-21 team. But he still achieved a lot with the senior Dublin team. In 1995, Jim Gavin helped Dublin win the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. This is a very important trophy in Irish sports.
Coaching and Managing Teams
Jim Gavin started coaching teams at his club. In 2009, he coached the Dublin Under-21 team. They won the Leinster Under 21 Football Championship. In 2010, they won the All-Ireland Under 21 Football Championship title. He won this title again in 2012.
On 1 October 2012, Jim became the manager of the senior Dublin football team. He signed a three-year contract. Under his leadership, Dublin had amazing success.
Winning Streak with Dublin
- In 2013, Dublin won the National Football League. They beat Tyrone in a close game.
- Later in 2013, Dublin won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. They defeated Mayo in the final. Jim was named the Philips Sports Manager of the Year for his great work.
- In 2014, Dublin had their only championship defeat under Gavin. They lost to Donegal in the All-Ireland semi-final.
- Dublin bounced back in 2015, winning another All-Ireland SFC title against Kerry.
- They continued their winning ways in 2016, beating Mayo in a replay to win their third All-Ireland title in four years.
- In 2017, Dublin won their third All-Ireland SFC title in a row. They beat Mayo again in a very close match. This was Jim's fourth All-Ireland title as manager.
- The team made history in 2018 by winning a fourth consecutive All-Ireland SFC title. They defeated Tyrone. This was Jim's fifth title.
- In 2019, Jim Gavin led Dublin to an incredible fifth consecutive All-Ireland SFC title. This was a record-breaking achievement. They beat Kerry in a replay. This was his sixth and final All-Ireland title as Dublin manager.
Under Jim's management, the Dublin team also set a record. They played 36 games in the league and championship without losing. This amazing run ended in April 2017.
Jim Gavin decided to step down as manager on 30 November 2019. Many people consider him one of the greatest Gaelic football managers ever.
Improving Gaelic Football Rules
In February 2024, Jim Gavin became the chairman of the Football Review Committee. This group was created by the GAA to make new rules for football. After the 2025 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, these new rules were praised. People said they made the sport more exciting to watch. Jim was recognized for his great ideas and for getting others to agree to the changes.
Jim Gavin's Military Service
At 18, in 1990, Jim Gavin joined the Irish military. He became an Air Corps Cadet. He trained to be an officer and then a pilot. Jim served in the Air Corps for 20 years. He became the Chief Flying Instructor. He was also the Chief Pilot for important government flights.
Jim worked with the United Nations on a peacekeeping mission in Chad. He was the Chief of Military Aviation there. He managed aircraft and helped coordinate international support. Jim reached the rank of Commandant before retiring from the Defence Forces in 2011. He often says his military training helped him a lot in managing Gaelic football teams.
Public Service Work
After his military career and retiring as Dublin manager, Jim Gavin became a qualified commercial pilot. He started working for the Irish Aviation Authority. He became the Chief Operations Officer. This meant he was responsible for air safety in Ireland.
In 2022, Jim was chosen to lead a citizen's assembly. This group discussed having a directly elected mayor for Dublin. The assembly suggested changes to local government. They believed these changes would improve services in Dublin city and county.
Since 2023, Jim has been the chairperson of the North-East Inner City Taskforce. This group brings together public and community organizations. They work to plan and improve services and facilities in a part of Dublin.
2025 Presidential Campaign
 |
|
| Campaigned for | President of Ireland in the 2025 Irish presidential election |
|---|---|
| Candidate | Jim Gavin, Gaelic football manager of Dublin (2012–2019) |
| Affiliation | Fianna Fáil |
| Status |
|
In August 2025, members of the Fianna Fáil political party asked Jim Gavin to consider running for President of Ireland. On 30 August, he asked the party for their nomination. The leader of Fianna Fáil, Micheál Martin, supported him.
On 9 September 2025, Jim Gavin was confirmed as Fianna Fáil's candidate. He won a vote among the party members.
On the evening of 5 October 2025, Jim Gavin announced he was withdrawing from the presidential election campaign. His name remained on the ballot.
Political Views
Jim Gavin has described himself as a "centrist". This means his political ideas are usually in the middle, not extreme. He also calls himself a "constitutional republican". This means he supports the idea of an independent Irish republic, based on its constitution.
Personal Life
Jim Gavin is married to Jennifer. They live in Dublin with their two children, a son and a daughter.
In 2019, Dublin City University gave Jim an honorary doctorate. This is a special award. In 2020, he was given the Freedom of the City of Dublin. This is a high honor from the city.
Career Statistics
Manager
| Team | From | To | O'Byrne Cup | National League | Leinster SFC | All-Ireland SFC | Total | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | G | W | D | L | G | W | D | L | G | W | D | L | G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Dublin | 1 October 2012 | 30 December 2019 | 17 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 44 | 32 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 88 | 69 | 7 | 12 | 83% |
Honours and Awards
Military
- United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) Medal
- United Nations Peacekeepers Medal
Civilian
- Freedom of the City of Dublin by Dublin City Council: 2020
Player
- Dublin
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (1): 1995
- Leinster Senior Football Championship (3): 1993, 1994, 1995
- National Football League (1): 1992–93
Manager
- Dublin
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (6): 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
- Leinster Senior Football Championship (7): 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
- National Football League (5): 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
- O'Byrne Cup (1): 2015
- All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship (3): 2003, 2010, 2012
- Leinster Under-21 Football Championship (3): 2003, 2010, 2012
- Individual
- Philips Sports Manager of the Year (2): 2013, 2019
- RTÉ Sports Manager of the Year Award (1): 2019
