Paul Healy
The death on Saturday last of renowned GAA manager, teacher and former politician John O’Mahony has led to numerous tributes being paid to the popular Ballaghaderreen man.
The late John O’Mahony (71), whose death took place last Saturday, was laid to rest in Kilcolman Cemetery, Ballaghaderreen earlier today (Thursday).
Leading tributes to the double All-Ireland winning manager were figures from the GAA world, as well as President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Simon Harris.
During a magnificent career as an inter-county manager, O’Mahony guided Galway to two All-Ireland senior football titles, and also won a collective eight senior Connacht titles with Galway, Mayo and Leitrim. Here in County Roscommon, he coached St Brigid’s to county senior title success in 1997.
In a tribute issued to the Roscommon People, Connacht GAA President Vincent Neary said Mr O’Mahony’s death had stunned the GAA fraternity. He paid tribute to John O’Mahony’s “enormous contribution” to the GAA and said his achievement in successfully managing three different counties to provincial success was a feat that’s unlikely to be repeated.
Connacht GAA described John as an innovative manager who had success with many different teams. A former member of the GAA’s Connacht Council, he also managed the Connacht interprovincial team.
John O’Mahony did indeed achieve success wherever he coached. He managed his school, St Nathy’s College, to an All-Ireland Senior B title in 1999. At just 30 years of age, he successfully managed Mayo to an U-21 All-Ireland title in 1983. Later, he led the senior Mayo team to the All-Ireland final in 1989. In 1994, he led Leitrim to their first Connacht title in 67 years. He finally saw All-Ireland senior success with Galway in 1998 and again in 2001.
As a manager, he won Connacht titles in 1988, 1989, and 2009 with Mayo; in 1994 with Leitrim; and in 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2003 with Galway.
Entering politics in 2007, he was elected to the Dáil for Fine Gael in 2007, serving until 2016. Subsequently, he served as a member of Seanad Éireann from 2016 until 2020. For many years he was a dedicated and highly respected teacher at St Nathy’s College in Ballaghaderreen.
President of Connacht GAA Vincent Neary said “I’d like to highlight his enormous contribution to the GAA in the province, successfully managing three different counties to success, a feat unlikely to be repeated”.
John O’Mahony of ‘Tower House’, Ballaghaderreen, and formerly of Magheraboy, Kilmovee, County Mayo, died on Saturday, 6th of July. He is mourned by his wife Geraldine, daughters Gráinne, Niamh, Rhona, Deirdre and Cliodhna, his brothers Dan and Stephen, sons-in-law, grandchildren, extended family, the GAA community and his many colleagues and friends.
His Removal took place on Wednesday, 10th of July. Mass of the Resurrection at 12 noon today (Thursday) in the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Nathy, Ballaghaderreen was followed by burial in Kilcolman Cemetery, Ballaghaderreen. May he rest in peace.
