The Late Gabriel Clancy (Macfhlannchadha) …
It was with deep sadness that the executive and members of Mullingar Shamrocks heard the news of the sudden death of one of the club’s Honorary President’s, the late Gabriel Clancy, who resided in Clarkemount Avenue, Clonmore.
The position of Honorary President is reserved for those who have rendered outstanding service to the club and Gabriel fitted comfortable into that category. A native of Keadue, Co. Roscommon, Gabriel, a teacher in Mullingar Community College, held the post of club Treasurer (1979-1980), Chairman (1981) and Assistant Secretary (1982) before returning to the finance department where he served as Joint Treasurer with another great servant of the club, Mick Price in 1983 and 1984. Club membership was important to Gabriel and every year since he retired from office he diligently made a point of making sure the appropriate membership fee was paid.
His fellow officers at the time included Davy Gavin, Des Doolin, Jimmy Treanor, Mick Gaye, Jimmy Fagan, Fr Mackin, Terry O’Dowd, Denis Larkin, Rob Cornally, Malachy Keaveney, Jimmy Treanor, Mick Reynolds and Mick Price. These were the days when the Lake County Hotel was the unofficial headquarter of the club when important club business was often discussed after closing time!
Gabriel’s commitment to these positions was never less than total. He was honoured as Clubman of the Year in 1981, a year the young Spike Fagan was Club Footballer of the Year and an even younger Séanie Murphy was honoured as Young Footballer of the Year. He also acted as Club Delegate to the County Board over much of this period where he fearlessly defended the club’s reputation when the occasion demanded. Gabriel also represented Westmeath at the Annual Congress of the GAA in 1982, 1983 and 1984.
Gabriel led by example and his diligence and attention to detail as Treasurer was legendary. It was entry by ticket only to any club function organised during Gabriel’s era where the American Tea Party was something of a fundraising favourite with clubs. His treasurer’s reports were classics for the time often enlivened with Gabriel’s unique and characteristic wit.
Gabriel loved the Irish language and he was one who took the GAA’s commitment to promoting the language seriously. Every report, every letter, every meeting included a bilingual element. All were signed off in the favoured signature, Padraig G. Macfhlannchadha.
Mullingar Shamrocks at this time organised Feis Lár na hÉireann, the annual festival of Irish dancing, drama and culture, Gabriel’s commitment to this event and support for the large team assembled to organise the festival was total. The volunteer team included Rob and Detty Cornally, Paddy and Dinah Whelehan, Patsy Rylands, Lil Maguire, Rose Longworth, Noel and Ber Jackson and John and Veronica Clarke and Mary Connell as well as several more. It was equally so with Scór and Scór na nÓg.
Gabriel was ahead of his time in many ways. We live in an era where merchandising is an important part of the GAA world. Gabriel pioneered the concept of the club tie as a means of creating a brand image for Mullingar Shamrocks. If golf and rugby club members could proudly wear their club ties then so too could Shamrocks people. As Chairman, he organised one of the club’s first ‘foreign tours’ to exotic Stradbally and Dungarvan, County Waterford in 1981. At the Westmeath County Convention, he proposed a motion that the county team manager have the power to select the team to represent the county. It wasn’t well received at the time! After his experience of the GAA’s Annual Congress, conscious of the boost its staging would give to the economy and the GAA in the county, he proposed that Westmeath should seek to hold the event in Mullingar. It did happen 27 years later!
We extend our deepest sympathy to the members of the Clancy family and in particular to Gabriel’s wife Ena; his daughters Barbara and Martha; his sons Martin and Ronan, and his grandchildren Orlaigh, Seán Óg, J.G., Emily, Fionnán and Kayleigh; sympathy is also extended to his sons-in-law Luca and Conor, daughter-in-law Deborah, brother Ciaran, brother-in-law Damien, sisters-in-law Winnie and Olive, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours, friends and former colleagues at Mullingar Community College.
Gabriel reposes at Gilsenan’s Funeral Home, tomorrow (Sunday) from 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm concluding with prayers at 6.00 pm. Requiem Mass will be celebrated on Monday, January 2nd, at 11.00 pm in the Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar. The Mass may be viewed live on www.mullingarparish.ie. Burial will take place in Kilronan Cemetery, Keadue arriving at 2.00 pm.
Ar Dheis Dé go Raibh a Anam.
