‘We will never see his likes again’

Michael Gallagher

“WE thought he'd live forever and it was only on Saturday evening we realised the enormity of what we had lost.”
The words of Crossmolina GAA stalwart PJ Hughes epitomised the sorrow felt along the Deel and all across Ireland at the passing of former GAA President, Dr Mick Loftus.
“I've known him all my life and I can't believe he's gone. He achieved so much, he did so many things but it was his care for people that set him apart. He had a feel for people, he always wanted the best for you and he was just a lovely, decent man,” PJ told The Mayo News.
Dr Loftus was never far from the headlines thanks to his glittering football career with Mayo during which he won All-Ireland senior and junior medals, Sigerson Cup titles and club honours before going on to referee two All Ireland senior finals.
He then entered GAA administration and became chairman of the Connacht Council before being elected as President of the GAA in 1984.
“That was some night,” Hughes explained. “There were bonfires blazing. The place was packed with people from near and far and it's something I'll never forget. One of our own was President of the GAA and we were on top of the world.”
However, there was so much more to the sporting and community life of Dr Loftus as his friend was quick to recall.
“He was ‘High King of Connacht’ too,” explained the long-serving Crossmolina PRO. “He was crowned in Athenry in 1982 at the end of a huge fundraiser for Rehab. “One of the big things he did was a sponsored walk from Galway to Crossmolina and there wasn't a bother on him.”
In later years, Dr Loftus had bonfires blazing again when he came home from the World Athletics Senior Games in Utah in 2006 with a gold medal and three silvers. He won the 3,000m and took silver in the 800m, 1,500m and 5,000m events.
“He told us he was going off to America to run in the World Championships and we thought he was mad, but he was brilliant and came back to Crossmolina with four medals and carried the Irish flag at the Opening Ceremony too,” Hughes added before talking about the affection Dr Loftus had for his beloved Deel Rovers.
“He truly loved his club. He was in the middle of it all when St Tiernan's Park was being developed and was always very proud of the facilities we have here. He was always there on the sideline, always available to help, always there with a word of advice or encouragement.
“He was known far and wide and there was great regard for him everywhere he went. I was with him at a Masters match a few years ago in Killererin and a young lad came up to shake Dr Mickey's hand. That lad was Shane Walsh. At another Masters match we were just pulling into the car park when a Cavan player came over with a dislocated finger. Mickey said, 'show me the finger' and he had it fixed up again before he ever got out of the car.”
PJ Hughes could spend days talking about the life and times of his friend and club-mate, but the sense of loss was almost overpowering when he spoke to The Mayo News over the weekend.
“As I said, we thought he'd live forever and it's only now dawning on us the giant of a man we have lost. We will never see his likes again.”

Dr Loftus will be laid to rest today (Tuesday) in Crossmolina after 12-o-clock Mass in St Tiernan's Church.

Read more on this story in this week's print/digital editions of The Mayo News.