Westmeath Obituaries 2001/2002

Harry Devine (St. Loman’s)
Harry’s death, after a long illness, was an occasion of great sadness for the gaels of Mullingar. A native of Edgeworthstown, Harry was a stalwart of the St. Loman’s club for many years. He held numerous positions, from underage coach to PRO.
Harry was recognised as one of the best club public relations officers in the county. He went to great lengths to ensure that every detail was included in his notes which were widely read in the local newspapers every week.

Mickey McLoughlin (Ringtown)
Kiltoom man Mickey McLoughlin was one of Ringtown’s greatest supporters down through the years.

Paddy Seery (Castledaly)
Paddy was a passionate supporter of Castledaly and Westmeath teams. His son Martin is a former secretary of the Castledaly club and is also a well-known referee.

Frank McCormack (Maryland)
A passionate GAA man, Frank played for Maryland for many years. He was a member of three Maryland teams which claimed county honours, lining out at left corner back each time.
After his playing career drew to a close, he became a respected referee. His officiating was of such a high standard that he won four county awards.
He trained both Maryland and Tubberclair and with the latter, he enjoyed much success in the late 1970s. He retained his deep interest in football all of his life.
Frank’s wife Kathleen also sadly passed away a short time after his death.

Laurence McCarthy (Cullion and Crookedwood)
Laurence died following an accident at the age of 38. He was a talented sportsman and excelled in both hurling and football. As a member of the St. Mary’s CBS, Mullingar football team, he won a Leinster Colleges medal. He also garnered four minor hurling championship medals with Cullion and represented Westmeath at minor level.
He gave sterling service to the Crookedwood football team for a number of years.

Gerry Monaghan (Coralstown/Kinnegad)
In his younger days, Gerry was one of Kinnegad’s most talented footballers. It’s likely that he would have gone on to win greater honours had his playing career not been ended prematurely by injury.

Eddie Burton (Ringtown)
A highly respected school teacher, Eddie was one of the famed Bruton family who provided the backbone to the Ringtown hurling team in the 1940s and 1950s. He had great pride in his native Whitehall and took a keen interest in the affairs of Ringtown.
Eddie was a talented writer and was the editor of “Whitehall and its People”, which was published in 1998. He was also involved in the writing of the history of Ringtown hurling club, which has yet to be completed.

Johanna Hogan (Garrycastle)
A native of the hurling stronghold of Toomevara, Co. Tipperary, Johanna and her late husband Dan were keen supporters of Garrycastle. She was very proud last year when the club won its first county senior football championship title and she made the short trip from her home to Dan’s Tavern for the homecoming.
Both the Garrycastle and Athlone clubs formed a guard of honour at her Funeral.

Davy O’Callaghan (Mullingar Shamrocks)
A member of a well-known Mullingar family who worked for many years at Mullingar Greyhound Stadium, Davy was a talented footballer in his younger years. He was a regular on the Mullingar Shamrocks team in the 1940s.
In 1944, he played on the Shamrocks team that met Kinnegad in the senior championship final. It was one of the most controversial county finals ever played and the circumstances of a penalty kick by Shamrocks’ Tommy Lynch is the subject of discussion in GAA circles to this day. Kinnegad emerged as the winners on a 3-7 to 2-8 scoreline.

Noel Kelly (Ballymore)
The village of Ballymore was shocked to learn of the death of Noel Kelly following a car accident last November. A keen footballer for many years before work commitments forced him to leave home, Noel was part of the successful Ballymore minor team of 1997 and was gradually establishing himself at senior level.
His coffin was draped with his favourite number 11 jersey which he had worn with great distinction.

Ned Drumm (Delvin)
A native of Clonmaskill, Ned worked as a veterinary surgeon in Summerhill, Co. Meath for many years. He lost his life in a tragic road accident. In his younger years, Ned was an accomplished hurler at club and county level, winning a Leinster junior championship medal with Westmeath in 1963 along with his brother Bernie and fellow Delvin man Pat Fox. Westmeath were subsequently beaten by Antrim in the All-Ireland final.
Ned was a stalwart of the Delvin team throughout the 1950s and 1960s but the senior championship medal which he craved for proved elusive. The closest he came was in 1969 when Delvin were defeated by Clonkill in the county final. Ned was introduced as a substitute on that disappointing day for Delvin hurling.

Seamus Comaskey (Delvin)
A native of Balinn, Delvin, Seamus emigrated to the US in 1958. He was a founding member of the Westmeath Association in New York and was an ardent supporter of the Westmeath GAA club in the city.

Brendan Cuffe (Ballymore)
Brendan Cuffe jnr, who died tragically in Portugal, was a past pupil of Carmelite College, Moate. He was a talented footballer and was an important member of the Ballymore team for a number of years.

Conor Durkan (Ballinagore)
Aged just six, Conor was a great supporter of the local teams and regularly attended matches with his family. One of the last games he attended was the All-Ireland fourth round qualifier meeting of Westmeath and Mayo in July. Ironically, his family have close links with Mayo.

Brendan Nally (Caulry)
One of Caulry’s greatest supporters, Brendan was also a committed and hard-working official. His passing leaves a huge void in the club.

Tony Moran (The Downs)
A great GAA enthusiast all of his life, Tony was known to many as proprietor of Moran’s shop, situated across the road from the General Hospital in Mullingar. Aged 83, he had a great passion for the GAA and he delighted in sharing it with his customers.
Known as “the man with the cap” to strangers, Tony had a huge knowledge of both football and hurling. He made no secret of the fact that he was “born and reared” in The Downs where he first learned to play and distinguish himself in football, and from where he first started cycling the 50 miles to Croke Park for a Sunday afternoon football or hurling match or final.

Jimmy Fagan (Castlepollard)
A native of Dublin Road, Castlepollard, Jimmy was a staunch GAA man. His family was steeped in hurling tradition and he and his brothers Peter, Paddy and Tommy all represented Castlepollard with distinction.
Jimmy joined the army at an early age and won an All-Army championship in 1944 with the 4th Brigade which comprised players from that Unit’s Battalions. Among his team-mates were Commdt Denis O’Callaghan who subsequently became chairman of the Westmeath county board, and Steve Hegarty, a Corkman and an outstanding hurler who lived in Mullingar most of his life.
Jimmy played with Castlepollard during what was a lean period for the club, from the late 1930s to early 1950s. His only reward was a junior championship medal in 1947. He was one of the unsung heroes of that lean spell but remained loyal when he could have joined a more successful club. He and his team-mates ensured that Castlepollard remained in existence and flourished to this day.

Matt Ryan (Mullingar Shamrocks and Pearses)
A native of Austin Friars Street, Mullingar, Matt played both football and hurling with the local Shamrocks and Pearses teams. Affectionately known as “Rasher” during his playing days, Matt won a senior hurling championship medal with Pearses in 1962.
With Shamrocks, he garnered senior championship medals in 1964 and ‘66, having picked up a junior championship memento a few years earlier. He was also an active member of Mullingar Boxing Club in his younger years and took a great interest in the sport in general.
The local GAA clubs formed a guard of honour at his Funeral.

Paddy Keogh (Turin)
Paddy’s sudden death, at the age of 37, came as a huge shock to members of the Turin club and to hurling followers throughout the county. He was a very committed player who was well respected by everyone. He had been a regular on Turin teams for many years and played in the 1997 intermediate championship final which Turin lost to Ringtown after a replay.

Peter Dalton (Castletown-Geoghegan)
Peter was one of the greats of Castletown-Geoghegan hurling, having played in 10 senior championship finals during his 20-year career. He played in the finals of 1956, ‘57, ‘58, ‘59, ‘60, ‘64, ‘65. ‘67, ‘68 and ‘70, and finished on the winning side in five of those - ‘56, ‘57, ‘58, ‘60 and ‘64.
A versatile player, he played in a number of positions from full back to full forward. He took great pride from wearing the famed black and amber jersey, and indeed the county jersey.
His great passion for hurling was instilled in his children. Two of his sons, Peter jnr and Padraig, have played for Westmeath and have also represented Castletown-Geoghegan and St. Malachy’s with distinction. Brian, Ollie, Emmet and Robbie have played for Castletown-Geoghegan and Kilbeggan Shamrocks respectively.

Jimmy McKnight (Boher)
Jimmy was a keen GAA follower who played with the old Boher football team in his younger days.

Theresa Jessop (Lough Lene Gaels)
Theresa, or Teasy as she was better known, was a great supporter of Lough Lene Gaels, as was her late husband, Bill.

Tom McKnight (Ballymore and Southern Gaels)
The entire GAA community was shocked by the sudden death of Tom McKnight on February 17 last. Aged just 36, Tom was a keen footballer and hurler and had trained with Ballymore on the morning of his death.
“Tyson” as he was affectionately known, came up through the underage ranks of the Ballymore club. He also played hurling with Fr Dalton’s and since they disbanded as an adult club, he continued to play the game with Southern Gaels.
Tom enjoyed many great moments with Ballymore, more recently when they won the intermediate football championship in 1998 and the Intermediate Cup in 2000.
He was just as well known for his hurling exploits and was a member of the Fr Dalton’s team which defeated Delvin to win the junior championship in 1987. Only last year, he was a member of the Southern Gaels junior ‘B’ championship-winning panel.
Guards of honour were provided by the Ballymore and Southern Gaels clubs, as well as the Ballymore Gun Club, of which he was a member, at his funeral. A measure of Tom’s popularity, not just in Ballymore but throughout Westmeath and further beyond, was the huge attendances at both his Removal and Funeral.

Peter Greene (Ringtown)
Peter was one of Ringtown’s most committed clubmen over the past 30 years. He had been a staunch supporter of the club since the early 1970s and throughout the 1980s, he was involved in the running of the club at many levels. His courteous and obliging manner made him a very popular figure both within and outside Ringtown.
In 1989, he was elected club chairman, a position which he held for two years and handled with great efficiency. He had many other interests outside of the GAA, including farming and politics.
At his Removal, Ringtown club members formed a guard of honour and a club jersey was also placed on his coffin. On the day of his death, a minute’s silence was observed at the under 16 county hurling final which Ringtown won. Had he been there, there is little doubt that he would have rejoiced in the success.
Michael Stones (Kilbeggan Shamrocks and Ballinagore)
A lifelong GAA follower, Michael was a member of the Kilbeggan and Ballinagore football teams in the 1940s.

Jack Gurrin (Ringtown)
One of the legends of Ringtown hurling, Jack’s playing career began in the mid-1930s. He won a minor championship medal in 1939 and three years later, won his only senior championship memento. Lining out at corner back, he played a key role in that historic success.
Jack continued to play until the early 1950s, winning League and Feis Cup medals in 1949. Even after the Ringtown club disbanded, his interest in hurling did not diminish. He took great joy in seeing the club revived in 1973 and became an enthusiastic supporter, as well as a shrewd observer of the emerging talents.
Jack was thrilled with Ringtown’s senior championship victories in 1980 and ‘87. As part of the 1942 championship winning team, he was honoured in 1984 (Centenary Year) and 1992 (50th anniversary).
At his Removal, Ringtown club members formed a guard of honour. A Ringtown jersey was also placed on his coffin.

Joe Kerrigan (Moate All-Whites)
A native of Walderstown, Joe was involved with the Moate football team as a selector for a number of years. Hailing from a strong hurling background, he was a talented hurler in his younger days and played in goals for the Westmeath senior side at the height of his career.

MJ Boylan (Castlepollard)
Mickey Joe hailed from a very old hurling family in Castlepollard. He, and all of his brothers, played for ‘Pollard during the 1930s and 1940s. His father and uncle played on some of the first Castlepollard teams. Mickey Joe’s coffin was drapped with the Castlepollard jersey on the day of his Funeral.

Maureen Melia (Castlepollard)
Maureen was a loyal servant of Castlepollard for 42 years. Not only was she a wonderful supporter who would rarely miss a game, but she was also responsible for washing the team jerseys. Game after game, year after year, the blue and gold jerseys were to be seen flying on the clothes line at Maureen’s house.
She regularly supplied transport for the underage teams and was a major organiser when it came to fundraising. She was a keen follower of bingo and was a great help in the years that it ran in the local GAA centre.
Along with her husband Jack, who was a former chairman of the Westmeath Minor Board, she attended many county matches. Her sons Sean and Jimmy both wore the Castlepollard jersey with distinction and her grandchildren are also keeping up the tradition, Aaron on the ‘Pollard senior side and Brian and John on the under 12 team.
When Castlepollard last won the senior hurling championship in 1997, Jack was club president, Sean Farrell, her son-in-law, a selector, and Aaron, her grandson, a member of the panel.

Michael Bartley (Lough Lene Gaels)
Michael was a passionate Lough Lene Gaels supporter, having represented the club with distinction in his younger days. He was a key member of the Gaels team which won back-to-back senior hurling championships in 1975 and ‘76.
His playing career would have been extended had he not spent a number of years working in Canada. A guard of honour was formed by members of the Lough Lene Gaels club at his Funeral.

Debbie Fox (Castledaly)
The tragic deaths of Debbie Fox and her two young sons Trevor and Killian caused a deep sense of shock in the close-knit community of Castledaly. The shop which she ran with her husband Greg was a centre point of village life and was a hive of activity when matches were held at nearby St. Kieran’s Park. When Castledaly underage teams gathered to travel to games all over the county, the shop was always the meeting place.
Although only living in Castledaly a short time, Debbie had already immersed herself in local activities and was coach to the local girls rounders team.

Trevor Fox (Castledaly)
Trevor was just nine years of age when his life was tragically taken from him. He was a very popular young boy and was an important member of the Castledaly under 10 football team.

Killian Fox (Castledaly)
Aged just seven, Killian died in tragic circumstances last July. Like his older brother Trevor, he was extremely popular and was a talented young footballer. He was a member of the Castledaly under 10 team.

Des Buckley (Mullingar)
Des was always keen to see Westmeath do well in both football and hurling. A member of the St. Finian’s College teaching staff for many years, his youngest son Gerry is the author of the much-acclaimed Millennium Handbook of Westmeath Gaelic Games.

Gary O’Brien (Lough Lene Gaels)
Gary was one of the finest hurlers to emerge from the Collinstown area in the late 1940s and early 1950s. With Collinstown, he won a junior championship medal in 1946 and Feis Cup medals in 1950, ‘51 and ‘52. Collinstown contested a number of senior championship finals during that era but unfortunately for Gary, they were not successful in any of them.
O’Brien’s talent was recognised by the county selectors and in 1952 he helped Westmeath to defeat Kerry in the final of a competition designed for ‘weaker’ hurling counties at Croke Park.
Shortly after that success, Gary emigrated to Liverpool. Thus, he missed out on winning a senior championship medal in 1955 when Collinstown defeated Castletown-Geoghegan in the county final. Following his return to the area in the late 1970s, he became a keen supporter of Lough Lene Gaels and was thrilled with their senior championship triumphs of 1996, ‘98, ‘99 and ‘00. A red jersey, representing Gary’s loyal playing service to Collinstown, was placed on his coffin on the day of his Funeral.

Stephen Guilfoyle (Kilbeggan Shamrocks)
Stephen’s tragic death, at the age of 29, shocked the entire local community. He was an avid supporter of Westmeath and played underage football with Kilbeggan.

Colm O’Farrell (Lough Lene Gaels)
A native of Rickardstown, Colm was born into a family whose name was strongly associated with the great Rickardstown hurling teams of the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s. Although he played little or no hurling himself, Colm and his wife Lila left a glorious legacy in that their seven sons all gave great service to Lough Lene Gaels teams.

Gerard Michael Grogan (Roscommon Gaels)
The GAA world was shocked to learn of the tragic death of promising young Roscommon footballer Gerard Michael Grogan in March. A member of the Roscommon Gaels club, the 23-year-old helped his county to win the Connacht football championship last year.
Gerard Michael’s links with Westmeath were quite strong. His father Christy was stationed as a garda in Athlone for a number of years and he played in goal for Athlone in their county senior championship success of 1965. His mother Marie (nee Killion) hails from Glasson and he was employed by Staunton’s Intersport in Athlone at the time of his death.

Deirdre Ennis (Kilbeggan Shamrocks)
Aged just 25, Deirdre hailed from a strong GAA background. Her older brother Michael played at midfield on the Kilbeggan team which won the intermediate championship in 2000 while her cousin, also Michael, is a vital member of the Westmeath senior side. Deirdre had a great love for football and rarely missed a game involving Westmeath.

Attracta Cole (Mullingar)
Attracta was wife of Paddy Cole, the former Mullingar Shamrocks and Westmeath star. Paddy played senior football for Westmeath for 12 years and lined out at corner-back for Leinster against Ulster in the Railway Cup final of 1968.

Andrew Cosgrave (Rickardstown)
Andrew was a key member of the great Rickardstown hurling team of the 1950s. He won senior championship medals in 1954 and ‘59 when Rickardstown defeated Collinstown and Castletown-Geoghegan respectively.

Dan Keena (Ballynacargy)
Dan was a stalwart of the Ballynacargy club. His son and grandsons are currently involved with the Ballynacargy senior team. Players and officials of the club provided a guard of honour at Milltown Cemetery, where his burial took place.

Moss Finglas (Castlepollard)
Moss had a long and distinguished association with Castlepollard and was regarded by many as the heart and soul of the club. He began his playing career at a young age and was just 18 when he lined out at corner back on the junior championship-winning team of 1955. That success was Castlepollard’s first since the glory days of the 1930s.
A versatile player, Moss was equally at home in defence or attack. He won his first senior championship medal in 1961, playing at corner forward. When ‘Pollard regained the senior title four years later, Moss played at corner back. The blue and golds retained the senior crown in 1966 with Moss having figured in the earlier rounds.
The holder of an All-Ireland Army medal, Moss also represented his county with distinction. He continued his playing career until about 1970 and as soon as it ended, he became immersed in administration and coaching.
His contribution to underage hurling in Castlepollard cannot be understated. He was instrumental in the setting up of the Castlepollard Street League which has done so much for hurling in the town. He took under his wing the underage and juveniles of Castlepollard and not only helped nurture their skills, but also instilled a tremendous love for hurling in each young player.
Moss managed the Castlepollard senior team for a number of years and was also in charge of the minor and under 21 sides which savoured championship success in the 1980s. His passing has left a huge void in the Castlepollard club that will never be filled.
It was somewhat ironic that Moss’ death should take place at a GAA match. He was attending the National Football League clash between Westmeath and Tyrone in Pomeroy on March 24 when he suddenly became ill. He was rushed to hospital in Omagh but was pronounced dead on arrival. Earlier that day, Moss had accompanied the Castletown-Finea/Coole/Whitehall juvenile football team to Derrytresk, Co. Tyrone where they had played the local side.

Tom Farrell (Rosemount)
Tom was an avid GAA follower and took great interest in the affairs of the Rosemount and Westmeath teams.

Robert Greene (Tubberclair)
Robert or ‘Bunny’ as he was better known was a prominent footballer with Tubberclair in his younger years. His son Paudge is a well-known referee throughout the county.

Obituaries occured up to April 1 2002. Through no fault of our own some deaths may have been excluded. Should you wish to bring any obituaries to our attention feel free to contact us.