Jack Mahon (Gaelic footballer)

Jack Mahon (1933–2005) was a famous Irish sportsperson who played Gaelic football for Galway in the 1950s.

A native of Dunmore, where his father was a National School teacher, Jack Mahon had a distinguished career as a player, at the highest level.

He first made a mark as a young player, winning a County Minor title with Dunmore McHales in 1949 and a Connacht Colleges championship with St. Jarlath's College, Tuam, in 1950. It was at a time when there was no All-Ireland Colleges championship played, so he did not get the opportunity to follow up on the Tuam school’s Hogan Cup triumph of 1947, inspired by his close friend Sean Purcell.

Jack won the first of three County Senior championships in 1953, with a Dunmore McHales team captained by his 19-year-old brother Brian, who has since lived in Tuam. Jack’s other two Galway S.F.C. medal were won in 1961 (ending the Tuam’s Stars’ seven in-a-row) and 1963.

It was a dream come true for Jack when he was selected on the Galway senior football team in 1951. He played on until 1961, winning an All-Ireland medal in 1956, a National League medal in 1957, as captain, and six Connacht championships including five in a row from 1956 to 1960 - he was one of four players who lined out in all five finals; the others were Sean Purcell, Mattie McDonagh and Joe Young.

He won Railway Cup medals with Connacht in 1957 and ’58 and also in ’58 he played at centre half-back on the Combined Universities team which defeated the Rest of Ireland. His team-mates included Sean Purcell and they were in opposition to some of their best friends, Frank Stockwell, Tom "Pook" Dillon, Mick Greally, John Nallen and Packy McGarty.

Following Mahon's retirement from senior fotball in 1961, Jack went into Football administration, serving as Galway Football Board chairman in the 1980s, as P.R.O. since, and last year he was given an honorary position: President of the County GAA Board. He earned fame as a writer and sports historian, having written a total of 19 books about Gaelic football and sport in general. His "History of Gaelic Football" is considered to be one of the most comprehensive accounts of the story of the game, while his most recent book, called "Memories", was launched at the beginning of the month, September, 2005, not long before he died.

1986 The first Streets of Galway was organised by Cospoir, predecessor to today’s Irish Sports Council, on Friday August 15, 1986. It’s ethos is a "Mass Family Fun Run – Sport for All". Race headquarters were at Moneenageisha College and the Great Southern Hotel, and the first race committee was: Jack Mahon, Mick Roche (Race Director), Geraldine Hanley, Sean McMenamon, Philip Cribben, Paddy Greaney, John McNamara and Jimmy Lydon. Entry is £4 and 560 runners took part. It has gone onwards and upwards in the years since its conceotion.

Jack was a family man and father of six children John, Lisa, Genevieve, Pearse, Karl and Branwell, His wife Eileen,his sons john and karl still live at their home in Salthill, Galway. Jack loved Salthill and he swam every day he was able to in the sea at Blackrock, Salthill, up to and as late as Autumn 2004. He also loved to walk the promenade in Salthill and did so up to and until his death.

Not long before Jack's last "turn out" was when he lost one of his best friends, Sean Purcell.

Jack Mahon died on October 23, 2005 after a long illness. His death followed those of his 1956 All-Ireland team-mates Sean Purcell and Mattie McDonagh - all three died within seven months of each other. Galway Football Board Chairman Pat Egan said that if there was one quality that ’said it all’ about Jack Mahon it was his spirit. "Even in this last game Jack was involved in - and one he wasn’t going to win - he never gave up and wrote his last book during that period."