Michael Commins
RELAXING in the banqueting suite at Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day came as naturally to Tooreen Hurling Club chairman Jimmy Connor as watching a swan glide across Urlaur lake. He was there with ‘all the President’s Men’ to receive a special award in appreciation of his services to the GAA over the years.
“A mighty evening,” was how Jimmy described the special dinner and presentation celebration which was held immediately after the staging of the All-Ireland club finals. Each year in recent times, the President of the GAA selects 16 recipients from around Ireland for the special honour. So impressed was Nickey Brennan with the Tooreen Club during his visit to open the new pitch and facilities that he decided on the spot to include the highly-regarded club chairman in his honours list for 2008.
“I presented Nickey with the new DVD of the Tooreen club. We are all very pleased with how it turned out. It’s a marvellous record of the club and the people of the area.
“During Nickey’s speech, he had a general word of congratulations for all 16 recipients. The only two he singled out for special mention were Brian McEniff of Donegal and ourselves in Tooreen. He said it had been a great honour for him to open the Tooreen pitch and described us as ‘that great Tooreen club in Mayo’.”
The citation for Jimmy, read at the presentation night, referred to his ‘lasting legacy’ for his role in steering the club development in such a progressive manner and the ability he has ‘to gel people in the community together for the benefit of all’.
Among the Tooreen contingent in attendance were Jimmy’s daughter, Kerrie, Johnny Cunnane, Anthony Cassidy, Jackie Coyne, and his brother John Connor and his wife Teresa.
“It was a fabulous night, wine reception, dinner and the whole works, and something that will remain in my memory as one of the highlights of my tenure as club chairman. We were presented with a lovely piece of bronze with the name and county on it. I was also interviewed for a few minutes by Marty Morrissey.
“After eight years as chairman, I am stepping down at the end of the current term. It’s time to move on and pass the baton to someone else. There are lots of committed club people in Tooreen so it will be in very safe hands,” said Jimmy, who has just returned from Boston.
