Mayo man set to be remembered as local clubs come together in his memory

Sunday, June 1, will see two GAA clubs that are side by side come together in memory of local man, Ronan Gibbons. This will be the first year such a rivalry will embrace together in aid of a great cause while also remembering one of the biggest personalities that graced the Shrule area. 

A game between neighbours, Shrule/Glencorrib and Caherlistrane, will take place at Shrule pitch with the winner taking home the Ronan Gibbons Memorial Cup. Speaking to The Mayo News, Paul Gibbons, who is the current Shrule/Glencorrib Chairman, and brother of the late Ronan Gibbons said: “This won’t be just a kickabout, we've got a decent cup got for the winners, we have neutral officials who will referee and officiate the game. There’ll be a man of the match award also. We’re all taking this pretty seriously, " the man from the Mayo side of the border stated as no doubt the occasion will mark a memorable occasion for all the locals and the surrounding community.

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Ronan was a key figure in the local community where he ran the successful Gibbons’ bar. Located on the Mayo/Galway border, Shrule is at the centre of a healthy but fiery rivalry where two proud counties embrace it all. 

Ronan sadly passed away on Christmas Day 2022 when he suffered a fatal heart attack. There was no sign of any heart disease with no link whatsover to heart disease in either side of the family. “It was a big shock when the post-mortem came back,” Paul stated as the Gibbons family are looking to raise awareness about heart disease and being the main reason they chose the charity Croí. 

Ronan's death was a devastating loss to his community while the popular man’s loss left his wife Lorraine and his two young children, Kelley and Michael, in devastation. The two young children are still in Primary school with one having just celebrated their Holy Communion while the other child will make its Confirmation in the next short-while.

Back in 2022 when Mayo’s Connacht rivals reached the All-Ireland Final, Ronan, a proud Mayo man, had the maroon jersey on. Ronan’s grandfather came from Corofin and was part of the All Ireland winning Galway side back in 1934. That was the first occasion where the Tribesmen wore the maroon and white jerseys and Ronan was immensely proud of his grandfather, David Mitchell. 

There will be bucket collections on the day of the game where all funds raised will go towards the Croí Heart Foundation. Also on the day, there’ll be no admission fee into the game but all donations will be greatly appreciated on behalf of all involved. it should be a great occasion to enjoy over the Bank Holiday weekend for all. 

Refreshments will be served afterwards in the family run Gibbons’ bar where there will be live music and a barbecue after the game. Ronan ran the bar with great success over the years as both sides of the community used to visit often. Now, after two and a half years since Ronan’s passing, his wife Lorraine currently manages the pub with a great sense of history in the establishment. The family run bar celebrates its 100th year in business this year so to add to the history, a great evening can be expected in the hugely popular pub that’s situated in the heart of County Mayo but only a stone’s throw from Galway territory.

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