John Coleman was steeped in the lore of Dunmore MacHales
John was a proud Dunmore man and came from a family steeped in the history of Dunmore MacHales Club.
THE sense of deep shock and sadness around the Dunmore and Letterkenny regions was truly palpable as the news spread of the sudden passing of John Coleman. John (63) had only retired earlier this year as North West Regional Manager with AIB. And just some weeks ago had taken part in the Camino Walk in Spain.
John was a proud Dunmore man and came from a family steeped in the history of Dunmore MacHales Club. His uncle, Bertie, was a legendary figure in Galway GAA circles in former times and he died in 2007.
It was in Tom Lally’s legendary hostelry in Garrafrauns that I enjoyed some chats with John many years ago. He also referred to Tom as 'Tommy' and secured many GAA match programmes for him over the years.
John was there on nights where you could not swing a cat with people like Ja Fallon, John Keenan, Michael and John Donnellan, others from Galway football and hurling and a few of us who ‘strayed’ in from across the Mayo border … and enjoyed every minute of it!
John was blessed with a warm and friendly manner that ensured he was a welcome arrival in any company. His rapport with people from all ages and walks of life was legendary and such was his standing in AIB circles around the province that he was simply known to many as ‘JC’.
The outpouring of so many special tributes to John are a true reflection of the regard and esteem in which he was held in so many areas and especially in his native Galway and adopted Donegal where he and the family had resided for many years.
It was indeed remarkable that he spent the last few days of his life ‘down home’ in Dunmore. As I noted in a news story in The Mayo News last week, John had attended a league game between Dunmore MacHales and Mountbellew-Moylough at the local GAA field before retiring with friends to Walsh’s Pub, home of his wife Catherine (Walsh) and also his mother-in-law, Nora Walsh, who still resides in Dunmore, to watch the Donegal v Dublin game.
He was in top form as he spent some hours in the company of friends from Dunmore and Garrafrauns.
“John loved his many trips home to Dunmore. He was hoping for a Donegal win over Dublin as he had spent so many years in Letterkenny, where he was very active with the St Eunan’s Club and was friendly in many people on the Donegal GAA scene.
“He was so much at home in Walsh’s Pub and we were all in good form after seeing MacHales secure promotion to Division One of the Galway senior league for the first time in 25 years,” said John Dooley from Garrafrauns and Greens Menswear JG Sports, Claremorris, when I spoke to him in recent days.
“John had such a love for the Dunmore region and Galway and GAA and golf were such a part of his life. When we heard the news on Monday that he had died during the night, it was something I had never experienced before. To be there with him on Sunday evening along with his brother, we were all rattled beyond belief. He was such a part of Dunmore MacHales over the years and the Galway scene during the 1980s.
“To his wife Catherine, sons Michael and Mark, daughter Sinéad, brother Pat, sisters Mary, Phil, Anne, Joan and Jean, mother-in-law Nora, in-laws, the extended family circle and many friends, our deepest condolences on the passing of a great friend and absolute gentleman.”