LIAM O'NEILL says it's almost certain he'll throw his hat into the ring for the GAA presidential election once more in 2011.

"A lot can happen in the space of three years, but I'd say it's very much on the cards that I'll allow my name to go forward in the next election," disclosed O'Neill, who finished runner-up to Cork's Christy Cooney at the weekend with 112 votes compared to the new president-elect's total of 172.

"It's very encouraging that I received so many votes considering that I really only started to canvass when I stepped down as Leinster chairman on the first of March.

"That only gave me six weeks in which to canvass whereas Christy (Cooney) and Seán (Fogarty) would have been attempting to drum up support for a considerably longer period of time."

The Laois native also takes heart from the fact that a significant number of candidates for the GAA presidency have been elected to the office at the second attempt. "Christy (Cooney) finished runner-up to Nickey Brennan three years ago, and the likes of Seán McCague, Joe McDonagh, Jack Boothman and Peter Quinn all contested two elections before they became president-elects," explained O'Neill.

It was widely believed by many insiders that on last Friday night the election of Cooney to the top post was far from being clear cut, but that by Saturday morning the Youghal native had succeeded in attracting considerable additional support from previously undecided voters.

The ex-Leinster chief O'Neill, a member of intermediate hurling club Trumera, near Mountrath, is also hoping his election to the vice-chairmanship of the provincial body nine years ago is a favourable omen with regard to a future bid for the most high-profile sporting position in the country.