Mayo GAA family in mourning

Mayo GAA family now in mourning


Tributes paid to two Mayo gaels after tragic accident

Mike Finnerty

A LONG SHADOW will be cast over the Mayo SFC Final between Castlebar and Ballintubber on Sunday, October 24 after the tragic and untimely deaths of Ger Feeney and Donal McEllin off Inishbofin last weekend.
Ger Feeney (56) was a former Ballintubber, Castlebar Mitchels and Mayo footballer whose sons, Alan and Richie, are both members of the current Castlebar senior squad. His nephew, John, is the Ballintubber captain and his brother, Sean, is the Mayo GAA Board Secretary.
Donal McEllin (64) was a well-known face around McHale Park, Castlebar and an active member of the Mitchels backroom team. He was also an uncle of Castlebar and Mayo footballer, Tom Cunniffe.
Tributes to the Castlebar Mitchels clubmen were led last night by Mayo GAA Chairman, James Waldron, and former Mayo footballer Tommy O’Malley.
Speaking to The Mayo News from New York, Waldron described Ger Feeney as ‘an outstanding player, an outstanding gentleman, and a great family man’. He also said that Donal McEllin’s ‘heart and soul was in McHale Park and the Mitchels club’.
Meanwhile, Tommy O’Malley, who played with Ger Feeney with Mayo from 1973 until 1981, hailed his ‘great friend’ as ‘the best wing-back I ever saw play for Mayo’.
“Gerry was a brilliant footballer, a brilliant wing-back,” said the current Castlebar Mitchels coach. “He was very intelligent and he used the ball well. He never wasted a ball. He was clever and I used to always say that he had a very ‘educated’ left foot.
“I played in the half-forward line in front of Gerry for years and he always gave me ball that was ‘80/20’ in my favour. He was a very strong player too and everything he did was done at speed.
“Donal was a great clubman,” added O’Malley. “He was involved in the background of every team I worked with in Castlebar.
“He did the unseen work; he cut the grass, lined the pitch, made sure the nets were up. He was a tremendous worker. Both Donal and Gerry will be terribly missed by the GAA family in Mayo.”

“GERRY was so proud of the two lads [Richie and Alan] playing for Castlebar and was really looking forward to the County Final. I think his ambition was to see them playing together for Mayo some day. Sadly, that will never happen now.”
These the words of former Mayo footballer, Tommy O’Malley, last night as he paid tribute to his old team-mate, Ger Feeney, who died tragically in a boating accident last weekend.
A native of Corthoon, Ballintubber, Ger Feeney made almost 70 appearances for the Mayo senior team, after winning All-Ireland medals at minor and U-21 level. He was also a replacement All-Star in 1975, winning the player of the tour award on the trip to the USA.
“Gerry was my best footballing friend, my best friend, all through the 70s and 80s,” explained Tommy O’Malley. “We played together for Mayo from 1973 until 1981.
“We clicked from the very start. We were great buddies from the beginning and we always roomed together when Mayo were away. We used to travel to America during the summer playing football that time too.
“Everyone looked up to Gerry and he always performed. Always. In the dressing-room he was inspirational, totally focussed on the job at hand.
“He was a fierce dedicated fella too,” added the Castlebar Mitchels coach. “I remember the two of us training together on nights when Mayo weren’t training, running around and around McHale Park in the dark. All we wanted to do was to win an All-Ireland for Mayo.
“When I was managing Castlebar in 1993, Henry Gavin and Gerry were involved too. He had a great footballing brain and was a great man to spot things happening. You’d always value his advice.
“Football was his life. He was a great character and I’ll miss him an awful lot.”
The second person to die in the weekend’s tragedy was Castlebar businessman, Donal McEllin. He was a close friend of Ger Feeney and a well-known face around Castlebar Mitchels teams and McHale Park.
“For the last three years, in particular, Donal was really involved,” said Tommy O’Malley. “Whether it was water or jerseys or anything, Donal made sure the lads didn’t want for anything. All of us, the management and players, really respected him.”
Ger Feeney’s remains will be reposing at Coady’s Funeral Home, Castlebar this evening (Tuesday) from 5pm with removal at 8pm to the Church of the Holy Rosary, Castlebar.
Requiem Mass takes place on Wednesday at 12pm with the funeral proceeding to Ballintubber Abbey cemetery.
Meanwhile, Donal McEllin’s remains will be reposing at his residence in Maryland, Castlebar on Wednesday evening from 4pm until 8pm.
Removal takes place on Thursday morning at 11pm to the Church of the Holy Rosary, Castlebar for Funeral Mass at 12pm with the funeral proceeding to Balla cemetery.
Ar Dheis dé go raibh a anamacha dilís.