BEAGH G.A.A. ClUB
Est. 1870
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TRIBUTE
The late Jack O'Shaughnessy - Death Of Hurling Great
O'Shaughnessy, Jack 31 May 2003
The late Jack O’Shaughnessy The death of Jack O’Shaughnessy of Newtown, Tubber has removed a much respected figure from the south Galway farming community. Mr O’Shaughnessy died at University College Hospital, Galway after a brief illness. An outstanding musician in his earlier years, he was part of the famed Tulla Ceili Band in the era of the charismatic Dr Bill Loughnan. His expertise with the fiddle saw him win a number of All Ireland titles and in the late 1950s he toured the US and the UK with the Tulla Ceili Band. An avid hurler in his youth, he derived his greatest pleasure from representing his local Beagh team. He went on to play for Galway at minor and junior level and was a committed supporter of the Beagh and Galway team up to his death. Jack O’Shaughnessy also had a great sense of place and had an unbreakable bond with the land he farmed in his native Tubber for almost 70 years. Immensely proud -but quietly so - of his heritage, he was an instigator of the O’Shaughnessy clan movement which has spread across the world and which culminates regularly in clan gatherings in south Galway. A man of deep faith, he contributed hugely to his parish of St Anne’s in Shanaglish in many unobtrusive ways, as well as serving on the Parish Council. He was also a member of the Board of Management of Lurga National School. Perhaps his greatest legacy is his enduring commitment to his neighbours, friends, and most of all to his family. Speaking at his funeral in Shanaglish Parish Priest, Fr Patrick Healy captured the essence of the man when he referred to him as ’a thorough gentleman’. Jack O’Shaughnessy is survived by his wife Noreen and son Declan, brother Kevin (Dublin) and sister Kathleen (New York), relatives, friends and neighbours.Courtesy of the Connacht Tribune
May 2003
Fr. Paddy Gantley - Death Of Hurling Great
FR. Paddy Gantley, who was one of Galway's greatest-ever hurlers, died on Sunday, January 6th at University College Hospital, Galway. A native of Grannagh, Ardrahan, he was in his 83rd year and tributes have been paid to him by some of the leading exponents of the game of hurling.
Paddy Gantley was regarded, with Joe Sammon, as the greatest midfielder ever to wear the maroon and white and was selected on the “Galway Hurling Team of the Century” in 1999.
He established himself in a short time (1945-'49 inclusive) as one of the greats of Galway hurling and also made his mark in Cork with St. Finbarr's while studying for the priesthood.
Galway had one of its greatest-ever hurling teams in the 1944/1953 period and Fr. Gantley was to express the view that if there were an award for the greatest team never to win an All-Ireland title, that team would be well in the running for it.
He starred on the all-Galway team that won the Railway Cup in 1947 (their first-ever title) and that was a time when the competition ranked second in importance to the All-Ireland championship.
Regarded by many, including the late Josie Gallagher, as the best Galway team of that ten-year era, the 1947 team were ‘robbed’ of victory in their All-Ireland semi-final clash with Kilkenny at Birr in that year by a “confused” referee who played ten minutes of additional time.
The midfield combination of Paddy Gantley and John Killeen was regarded as outstanding in that span of five years when, at least twice, Galway came agonisingly close to reaching All-Ireland finals.
In those years, Paddy Gantley was called Paddy Gardiner in team line outs and newspaper photographs because the Church culture of the times frowned on clergy taking part in games. It seems that a pseudonym overcame that particular problem in a period when media attention was very different to what it is today.
He joined the Society of African Missions (S.M.A.) in 1942 and was ordained in 1946. He went on to spend two years at University College, Cork, in post-graduate studies. He achieved recognition and fame in Cork during his student days, when he won Fitzgibbon Cup medal with U.C.C. and two Cork county senior championship medals with St. Finbarr's.
His two Cork championship medals were won in 1946 and 1947, the first against a Glen Rovers team which featured seven All-Ireland medal holders. He was directly opposed at midfield by the legendary Christy Ring in a game which was refereed by former G.A.A. President and Cork hurler, Con Murphy.
“He was a brilliant hurler, a tremendous competitor and a great player for the ’Barrs and for Galway”, said Con Murphy, upon hearing of Fr. Paddy's death. In 1947 against Sarsfields, he played centre forward on Alan Lotty.
Fr. Paddy departed for Nigeria in 1949 and returned in 1953. From then until 1962 he was Superior of the S.M.A. House, Clough-Ballymore, Kilcolgan, before returning to Nigeria for a four-year period from 1962 to 1966. following that second stint in the mission fields, he spent three years as Professor at the S.M.A.'s Dromantine College in Newry. He was to spend five years (1968-1973) working as Society Historian,. He was to continue in that role from 1973 to 1983 at the S.M.A.'s Missionary Institute in London and commuted between there, Rome and Galway, in carrying out his research work.
That task was a very time consuming one, however, and he continued with it during a fourteen-year spell in Galway from 1985 to 1999 where he also carried out pastoral duties in the Renmore Parish and was Chaplain in Galvia Hospital for some time.
He retired to S.M.A. House, Claregalway in 1999 and in a tribute to him just before Christmas, the Galway County Board Convention was held there to mark the end of his two-year term as Honorary President of the Board.
His hurling fame was not confined to the playing pitches and he became a highly regarded administrator during some of the years he was at home in Galway. He served as Chairman of the County Board and was Central Council delegate.
Galway County Board Chairman, Frank Burke, in a tribute, said that Fr. Gantley was a visionary who was very determined to see the G.A.A. modernised, particularly in the areas of coaching and looking after the interests of players. He referred to his roots in the hurling stronghold of Ardrahan “where the seeds of his hurling skills were sown”.
“He cherished greatly the Gantley hurling tradition which sent from himself through his nephew Finbar and grand-nephews Liam, Finbar, Rory, Joseph and Brendan”, said Frank Burke.
Galway's great goalkeeper of the 1940's and '50's and who was also chosen on the “Galway Hurling Team of the Century”, Sean Duggan, paid him this tribute: “A pleasure to play with him and be in his company. A most outstanding hurler his greatest gift was his sense of anticipation. He was very consistent and had a lovely stroke of the ball, his hurley never coming above his shoulder. We missed him a lot after he travelled to Africa as a missionary priest. A gentleman on and off the field. Of all the men I played behind, he was one of the best”.
The late Fr. Gantley was noted as a thoughtful and caring priest whose grace and demeanor made him a very special and supportive friend.
His remains reposed at S.M.A. House before removal to Cork after concelebrated Mass in Claregalway Church. Chief celebrant was Fr. Gerry Murray, Superior of S.M.A. House, Claregalway, who in his homily spoke of the three guiding principles of Fr. Gantley's life commitment, discipline and keeping focused.
The Mass was attended by the officers of the Galway County Board G.A.A., Galway Hurling Board, Galway hurlers from the 1940's and '50's and 1970's and '80's eras, along with strong representation from Ardrahan, Beagh and Tubber. A guard of honour was formed by the County Board and Hurling Board officers, former players and members of Ardrahan G.A.A. Club.
His grand-niece, Niamh Gantley, sang at the Mass in Claregalway Church and she went on to sing “The West's Awake” and other appropriate songs at the concelebrated Mass in St. Joseph's S.M.A. Church, Wilton, Cork.
A strong G.A.A. contingent who attended the mass and burial included former President and player, Con Murphy, Donal Flynn (a Corkman who played with Galway in the 1940's), former Cork hurlers, Willie John Daly and Gerald McCarthy and several past and present players from St. Finbarr's Club.
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