The Late Frank Coffey It was with deep sadness that the people of the area learned of the untimely death after a short illness of Frank Coffey of Ballyloughane, Cahertymore. An acute businessman who ran a highly successful windows business for many years, the recent illness of Frank Coffey had shocked his many friends and his passing caused widespread sadness. Frank Coffey was one of the best hurlers that ever came through the famed black and white of Turloughmore. An outstanding colleges hurling star, Frank was one of the all time greats of his era with St Mary's College, Galway. He went on to play with Turloughmore Minor team and was drafted into the Turloughmore panel during the championship campaign of 1961, when Turloughmore won the first of six successive senior championship titles. Frank was one of Turloughmore's key players in the Turloughmore minor team that reached the County final of 1962 but lost to a strong St Augustine's side but later that year he became a key member of Turloughmore senior team that won the County Senior Title for the second time against Castlebar. He was probably Turloughmore's greatest ever scorer and held a unique record of scoring 6-8 for Turloughmore in a Kenny Cup final of 1963. He captained Turloughmore to Victory in the last of the six-in-a-row wins over Mullagh in 1966, and also gave sterling service to Galway senior hurling team and was a regular member of the Galway team during the lean period of the sixties. It was fitting that Frank Coffey would get his name on the match programme of the Guinness All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Quarter Final on the day of his funeral - when looking back on Galway v Clare games of the past, and their first round clash in the Munster Championship of 1965, the report stated that before a crowd of 8,000 spectators at Pearse Stadium the homeside made a dream start with a Frank Coffey goal inside sixty seconds. Frank Coffey scored 1-6 of Galway's 3-10 that day but Clare won by one point. Ironically, Clare won by one point again in the year of his passing. Frank Coffey kept an up to date interest in the game to which he gave so much to as a player during a long and distinguished playing career. His were removed from his home to the Church of the Assumption, Athenry. Following Concelebrated Requiem Mass, where Very Rev Canon Tony King, P P Athenry was joined by Very Rev Willie Cummins, Very Rev. Fr Richie Higgins, Fr Paddy Higgins and Fr Johnny Caulfield, burial took place in Athenry Cemetery. Members of Turloughmore Hurling club and his former colleagues formed a Guard of Honour, led by the great Mickey Cullinane and Phelim Murphy, Chairman of the Turloughmore Hurling Club during the sixties era, on one side of the cortege, and legendary hurler Paddy Fahy, and James Delaney, current Turloughmore Hurling Club Chairman on the other side, to escort his remains en route to Athenry cemetery. Frank Coffey is survived by his wife Mary; son, Francis; daughters, Jean, Elaine, Linda and Fiona; brothers, Mattie and Gabriel; sister, Madie; grand children, in laws, nephews, nieces and a very large circle of friends. December 2002 Tweet

Most Read Stories