Ballina councillors pay tribute to great Moygownagh community man

Glowing tributes were paid to the late Moygownagh businessman Seán Mitchell who was described as a great community man who delivered so much for the north Mayo village. 

A native of Sligo, Seán Mitchell ran a thriving family-owned business in the centre of the village and was an active member of the local Moygownagh GAA club where he served as President and trustee.

He passed away last Friday and a vote of sympathy was expressed to his family by members of the Ballina Municipal District at their monthly meeting on Wednesday.

Fine Gael councillor Jarlath Munnelly led the tributes to Mr Mitchell saying that he was behind anything good which happened in Moygownagh.

“He left a huge impact on Moygownagh both as a business man and a man of the community. Everything positive that happened in Moygownagh, Seán Mitchell was behind it and behind it in a quiet way. With his wife Judy they were a great couple who did so much for the area,” he said.

Mr Mitchell and his late wife Judy started the family business after returning from London in the 1970s after answering an advertisement for a small shop in the village. Starting off with a travelling shop, Mitchell's of Moygownagh grew over time and now includes a hardware store, pub, farm suppliers, home heating suppliers, a petrol station and convenience store.

Fianna Fáil councillor Annie Mae Reape said that if you could not find what you were looking for in Mitchell's, it was not to be found in the region. She described him as one of the best community leaders who will be a huge loss to the area.

“To start off as a travelling shop to what it is today is a great story. He was a lovely man who never asked for credit. We all gave money for that area because if Seán Mitchell asked for anything you gave it to him because you knew it would be good. You only have to look at the work there in Moygownagh which was all down to him,” she said.

Cllr Michael Loftus from the neighbouring parish of Crossmolina complimented him and his late wife Judy for building up the business and described them as a great couple who worked so hard together.

“I attended the Funeral of Seán Mitchell in Moygownagh [on Tuesday] and to see the amount of people who were at the Mass in the storm just shows you the respect the man had in north Mayo.

“He got stuck in straight away with the community. He set up one of the first FÁS schemes which is still running and if you go around and see the amount of work that they do, it is phenomenal.

“They received a lot of money from the councillors over the years to fund these things. Seán in a polite way would come and say I want the money and you would give it. That was Sean but it was always for the community...his death is a sad loss to the community,” he said.

Condolences were extended by all of the local councillors to his children, Richard, John, Geraldine, Siobhán and Rachel and his 13 grandchildren on their sad loss.