'Service to the town he loved so well' - tributes to Mayo man

THE recent passing of Mayo man Michael Reidy, Brookhill, Claremorris, rekindles memories of a man who made a notable contribution to the life of the Claremorris community and region over the decades.

Michael (pictured), who was in his early 90s, was much in demand over the years for his Consulting Engineers business that operated from Main Street and was a cherished advisor to so many groups and organisations in Claremorris when it came to planning and related matters.

READ: Mayo residents still without phone lines over 100 days after Storm Éowyn

He was synonymous with Claremorris Town Hall and attended the first meeting back in 1962 that was called with a view to establishing such a venture in the town. The original committee put in place on that night back was as follows: Seamus O’Malley (captain of the first Mayo team to win the Sam Maguire Cup in 1936), Arthur Hanley, Padraig J Brennan, Pat Merrick, Thomas H Kean, Msgr Hugh Curley, Michael Prendergast, Michael J Reidy and Dr Roderick Maguire.

QUIZ: Test your knowledge on Mayo GAA in the All-Ireland Championship

After a few years of fundraising activities, it was decided to build the new Town Hall on the site of the old Parochial Hall. At a public meeting in 1967, a progress report on the project heard that £5,000 had been collected which was hugely augmented by a parish bequest of another £5,000, made by a Mr Vahey from the parish who had lived for many years in America before returning home. No grants were available in those times.

Engineering services were volunteered by Michael Reidy to prepare plans to drive the project forward. Things moved apace after that and the brand new hall was opened amid a blaze of glory in 1969.

The famous Royal Blues Showband, fronted by Doc Carroll from Ballinrobe and including Frank and Vincent Gill from Murneen, Claremorris, played to a capacity crowd for the opening dance on June 20, 1969.

The late solicitor, Padraig J Brennan, served from 1969 to 1974, and Michael Reidy took over the reins as secretary following Padraig’s appointment as a district judge that year. Michael faithfully served in that capacity for 40 years.

Seamus Gallagher became the booking manager for the dances that became such a part of the social fabric of the town during the 1970s and almost all the top acts in the country stood on the famous Town Hall stage with thousands flocking to the venue.

Among the many acts that delighted patrons in Claremorris Town Hall were Big Tom and The Mainliners, Joe Dolan, Dickie Rock, The Indians, Roly Daniels, Ray Lynam and The Hillbillies, The Memories, Brush Shiels, Gina, Dale Haze and The Champions, Gene Stuart, Larry Cunningham, Margo, Philomena Begley, Red Hurley, Tweed, DJ and The Kerry Blues, Horslips, Johnny Flynn, and Brendan Shine to name but a few.

When Michael compiled a short history of the Town Hall some years ago, he related how the committee decided to get a loan of £10,000 from the Bank of Ireland, a very sizeable sum at the time. “We got 39 people to guarantee £250 each to secure the loan. It was very difficult to get our loans but eventually the Bank of Ireland sanctioned the loan,” he told me in an interview back in 2015.

The 39 guarantors were Sean Balfe, Jimmy Boyle, PJ Brennan Solr, John Byrne, Joe Kelly (Courthouse Road), Dr George Maguire, Dr Roderick Maguire, Pat Merrick, Tom Clarke (Ardroe), Gus Cleary, Michael Cuddy, Peter Delaney, Donal O’Donoghue, Tim Durning, Sean Fitzpatrick, NT, Bertie Gannon, Tim Griffin, Arthur Hanley, Cormac Hanley, Tommy Higgins, Eamon Hughes, Thomas H Kean, Tom Kean VS, Dr John F McHugh, Tom McLoughlin, Tom McMahon, Johnny Navin, Paddy Navin, Paddy O’Brien, Michael O’Mahony, Seamus O’Malley, Philip O’Reilly, May O’Sullivan, Michael Prendergast VS, Michael J Reidy, Paddy Smyth, Vincent Sweeney, Thomas Waldron and PJ Wilson.

Michael Reidy was part of that journey every step of the way. In his own quiet and reserved way, he rendered sterling service to the town he loved so well.