Mitchell, John
May 20, 2010"It's rare to see a man who did so much in his life and everyone in Bagenalstown will miss having him around," was how county PRO David O'Brien remembered Bagenalstown native John Mitchell who passed away.
John was Erin's Own chairman from 2006 to '09, and will be sadly missed around the hurling and football fields of the county. The Bagenalstown man was born in 1946 and when he attended St Brigid's NS he found a calling he would follow for life - hurling and football.
John won his first championship medal at U14 in 1959 and he was instrumental in helping Erin's Own and St Andrew's to their most successful periods he won two U16 medals in 1960 and '61, and unprecedented four minor hurling medals and not content with that he was also a leading figure on the side that won the U21 title from 1964-'67, the first four times the U21 cup was presented.
Indeed he scored 3-2 in the '64 win over Palatine and in the same year he won the first of three SHC titles. He turned his attentions to football as well and won the JFC and IFC with St Andrew's in 1975 and 1976. In a meteoric rise to power he was captain of the 1977 team that reached the SFC final and was a member of the panel when they repeated the trick in 1978.
After ending his playing days John stayed close to the sport he loved and helped set up the Leinster inter-county factories league which became a huge part of people's lives.
However one of his proudest moments came in 2006 when, as chairman of Erin's Own, he saw the club take to the famed Croke Park turf to contest the All-Ireland junior club final.
John was also a keen golfer and a past captain of Borris Golf Club where he held the role of trustee. He was also a shrewd businessman and when work stopped in Keenan's of Bagenalstown in the '80s he set up Mitchell Engineering with his brother Anthony to the present day.
"He was a great man who cared deeply about hurling and football and St Andrew's and Erin's Own. We will miss him dearly but we will also remember everything the did with pride," added David O'Brien.
John is survived by his wife Nelly (née O'Hara) brothers Anthony and Eddie and his sister Helen. Tweet
