Tributes paid to Dr Mickey Loftus

Tributes paid to Dr Mickey Loftus

Michael Gallagher

HUGE crowds are expected in Crossmolina over the next few days to pay tribute to former GAA President Dr Mickey Loftus.
The much-admired 93-year-old passed away on Saturday and his death has been met with great sadness across the sporting community.
His body will lay in repose in the Crossmolina Deel Rovers clubhouse on Monday evening from 4pm until 7pm.
Requiem Mass will take place on Tuesday at 12pm in St Tiernan's Church and it's expected that sporting figures from near and far will visit Crossmolina to pay their respects to a man who certainly made his mark on the life of his county and country.
“He had three great loves of his life — family, medicine and the GAA,” Dr Mickey's son, Michael, told The Mayo News.
“He always said the GAA gave him so much and he treasured the friendships made with so many great people over the years.”
Dr Loftus was GAA President from 1985 to 1987 after winning All-Ireland senior and junior medals with Mayo, and refereeing two All-Ireland senior finals before becoming chairman of Connacht GAA in the late seventies.
“He was on the Mayo team that won a junior All-Ireland in 1950 and a sub on the senior team in '51 before captaining the junior team to another All Ireland in '57,” explained his son, Michael.
“He had won a county junior championship with Crossmolina in 1947 and a senior title with the club two years later, so he was enjoying himself.”
Dr Loftus went on to referee the All-Ireland senior finals of 1965 and '68. In '65 he was in the middle of Galway and Kerry and three years later was in charge of the whistle again when Down beat Kerry.
“He just loved the GAA,” Crossmolina club stalwart PJ Hughes told The Mayo News.
“He was doing all that stuff on the national stage, but he was also working tirelessly with others to develop our own facilities in St Tiernan's Park and of course he was doing fantastic work as a doctor in the community.
“He was so good to people and such a good doctor long before we had the medical advances of today. He was delivering babies all over the area and took such great care of people of all ages,” PJ added.
Dr Loftus was also the coroner for the area and was a strong fighter against the ravages of alcohol abuse which he witnessed at first hand.
“He wasn't against alcohol at all. He had been born and raised in a pub himself, but he saw what alcohol abuse did to individuals and families and he fought against it all his life,” said Michael Loftus.
“He cared about people and cared about the community and it was a great way to live.”
In later years, Dr Loftus was on the sideline when Crossmolina won the All-Ireland club title in 2001 and five years later showed his athletic prowess when winning four medals at the World Senior Games in Utah – gold in the 3000m and silver in the 800m, 1,500m and 5,000m events.
“He was a man who packed so much into his life and enjoyed his time here. He definitely made the best of it,” PJ Hughes added before explaining the mood in Crossmolina since news of Dr Loftus' death spread on Saturday evening.
“We thought he'd live forever and it was only on Saturday evening we realised the enormity of what we had lost.”
Dr Loftus is deeply mourned by his loving wife Edie; children Michael, Orla, Patrick and Dr Joe; daughters-in-law Dr Eleanor, Monica and Jordan; son-in-law Donal; his 10 grandchildren Rosanna, Mikey, Patrick, Kevin, Claire, Dr Katie, Joe, Sam, McKenzie and Ben; brothers Dr Declan, Finian, Dr Colm, Shane, Liam and sister Siobhan; brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, his extended family, neighbours and many friends who knew and loved Dr Mickey within medical and GAA communities.