Ballaghaderreen grieving after death of Tommy Hanley

HAPPIER TIMES The late Tommy Hanley (second from right) pictured at Australia Zoo, near Brisbane, in 2015 with, from left: Myfanwy Hanley, Natalie Hanley, Cian Hanley, Pearse Hanley, Jean Flanagan and Caoimhe Hanley.

Edwin McGreal

A pall of grief has descended on the community of Ballaghaderreen after the death of 16-year-old Tommy Hanley yesterday (Tuesday).
Tommy had been battling illness for a number of months before passing away peacefully yesterday morning in Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin.
Tommy was a student of St Nathy’s Secondary School in Ballaghaderreen and had attended St Attracta’s NS in the town as a child.
A member of a well-known sporting family, Tommy’s brothers Andy, Pearse and Cian all played underage football for Mayo. Pearse played senior too before embarking on a successful career in Australian Rules football in 2008, a path Cian has also followed him on.
Both were afforded leave from their respective clubs - Pearse is with Gold Coast and Cian with Brisbane Lions - to travel home at the weekend to be with their brother in his final days.
Tommy had visited his brothers in Australia last summer, with his mother Natalie, and friends.  
Ballaghaderreen-based Senator John O’Mahony knows the Hanleys for many years, having trained Tommy’s dad Andy at minor level.
“There is huge sympathy in the club and in the area. A young person taken at that stage of their life is very difficult to get to grips with. Our hearts and our prayers go out to the Hanleys,” he told The Mayo News today.
“One of the great things about the GAA is how people rally around in the hour of need and that will happen here,” he added.
News of Tommy’s illness came to light before Christmas when movie star and former wrestler Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson sent a message of support to Tommy, who was a big fan of The Rock.
“I’m pulling for you man, I appreciate you being a fan, happy holidays and merry Christmas Tommy, stay strong,” said Johnson in a video message.
Tommy is mourned by his father Andy and mother Natalie, brothers Andrew, Pearce and Cian, sisters Myfanwy and Caoimhe, his grandparents Jimmy and Angela Lavin, also his birth family, father Colm O’Connor, mother Suzanne Devitt, brothers Stephen and Alex O’Connor, sisters Catherine and Carol Devitt and Diane O’Connor, his aunts, uncles relatives, neighbours and many friends.
Remains reposing at the family home in Ishlawn, Ballaghaderreen tomorrow (Thursday) from 3pm to 9pm.
Removal from the family home on Friday morning to St Nathy’s Cathedral for funeral Mass at 12 noon with burial afterwards in Kilcolman Cemetery.