The late Bilshie Travers CLCG Realt na Mara Bundobhrain wish to record their deepest and most profound sadness to the Travers family of Bundoran on the death of William 'Bilshie' Travers on Friday, 11th May 2007, aged 93 years. His involvement with the club went back to the early 1930s when he was involved as a player with the famous club team of the time, which competed in three county senior finals in 1933, 1934 and 1935. While Bundoran only recorded one success in that three year championship period, in 1934, Bilshie represented his club with honour and also earned a spell in the county strip. Later, as Chairman of Bundoran GAA club he was one of those in attendance at the first meeting to set up the great St Joseph's team of the 1960s and 1970s. In 1968, when that team took the unofficial All-Ireland Club championship against Dunmore MacHales, Bilshie was appropriately in the winning team photograph, as Josephs Chairman. That championship later paved the way for the introduction of the official All-Ireland club championship, a few short years later. The Bundoran GAA club formed a guard of honour at Bilshie's funeral and the tributes to Bilshie were led by Chairman of the club, Michael McMahon and one of the club's most distinguished members, Brian McEniff. Deir Cathaoirleach MacMathuna: "While Bilshie will be remember for many things in Bundoran, his contribution to the local GAA club spanned his whole working life. And his good work has been continued by later generations of the Travers family. Men of his calibre have helped make this club, one which has stood the test of time." Brian McEniff, who was a familiar visitor to the Travers family home on Bay View Avenue when growing up said that the town had lost one of its great citizens: "He had a keen interest in all things GAA in Bundoran and Donegal. Often, when the club players featured over the years, he would cut of the pieces of the paper and present them to me. He also appeared in the county jersey and would have held various positions with the club, as well as being the club delegate at county and divisional level. He was also very supportive when I came back from Canada and supported us in getting one of the first set of dressing rooms in Donegal." PRO Michael McHugh added: "Bilshie contribution to the GAA is something which all Gaels should feel proud of. He is now the last link with that first extraordinary era when Bundoran was one of the finest and most respected teams in the county. His multiplicity of great facets will be recorded elsewhere, but even singularly, for his contribution and keen interest in all things GAA, ni bheith a leitheid aris ann." Vice Chairman of the Club and Chairman of Bundoran Town Council, Cllr Philip McGlynn summed up the feeling of the community: "Bilshie was a larger than life character, he was old Bundoran and would have seen the whole transformation of the resort over the 20th century. In GAA terms, he was still representing the club up to recent years at Scor competitions and was a fascinating person to talk to about all things connected with the town." Michael McHugh, Bundoran GAA PRO Courtesy of the Donegal Democrat 17 May 2007 Tweet

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