One of the greatest hurlers Galway ever produced - and one of the greatest hurlers from any county never to win an All-Ireland medal - was laid to rest on Monday when former inter-county goalkeeper Seanie Duggan (90) was buried at Forthill Cemetery in the city.
Former team-mates and rival players from all over the country attended the Requiem Mass for the Liam Mellows clubman, who grew up at College Road in the city and played between the posts for the Tribesmen for a decade between 1943 and 1953.
Duggan, who died peacefully last Thursday, was not named on the GAA Team of the Century in 1984. But the man who was named in goals, Tony Reddin, moved from Mullagh to Tipperary because he could not dislodge the Mellows man from the Galway team.
Reddin went on to win three All-Irelands in a row for Tipp, while Duggan was named on the consolation Team of the Century, featuring players who had never won an All-Ireland medal
There were emotional scenes outside St Patrick's Church in the city after the Funeral Mass when Reddin who became a life-long friend despite their sporting rivalry, stepped forward to embrace Seanie's brother Jimmy - another Galway hurling great, who played with distinction for the men in maroon for 18 years and played in three All-Ireland finals.
Mourners recalled that Seanie won a Railway Cup medal with Connacht in 1947 and a National Hurling League title, in New York, four years later. Sean used to recall with fondness the rousing reception the Galway team received in Eyre Square when they returned with the League trophy in 1951.
They were barren years for Galway hurling, before the county entered the Munster championship, but he was a key member of the side who shocked Kilkenny in the 1953 All-Ireland semi-final - before losing to Cork in the final.
Sean was selected on the Galway team of the Millennium by a a panel of local sports journalists in 2000 and was inducted in the GAA Hall of Fame in 2002. He used to recall epic battles against such acclaimed hurlers as Christy Ring (Cork), Nicky Rickard (Wexford), Mick Mackey (Limerick) and Jimmy Doyle (Tipperary).
Sean turned 90 last year and was delighted to see the Galway team win last year's Leinster final. He swam every day at Blackrock in Salthill for over 40 years until the end of last year, and many of Galway's regular group of year round swimmers attended the Requiem Mass on Monday.
The Chief Celebrant at the Requiem Mass, Fr Martin Downey, said it was a very difficult occasion to have to bury a sporting hero.
He recalled that Sean Duggan was a hero to everyone around him when he grew up in Kiltartan and how enthusiastic his own father was about the great Galway goalkeeper when he brought him to see Sean play in a big game in Limerick in the early 1950s
"He was a childhood hero to all the people around me growing up in Kiltartan," said Fr Downey. "My father and neighbours would have talked reverentially about him and I will never forget how thrilled I was to see him play for the first time when my father brought me down to Limerick in 1952."
Fr Downey recalled that Sean won five county senior medals with Liam Mellows, and 50 members of the city club provided a Guard of Honour at the Removal on Sunday night and again following the Requiem Mass on Monday.
Fr Downey recalled that Sean had a great capacity for friendship, through his love of hurling; his long working life with the ESB, particularly in Connemara; and as a year-round swimmer who never missed a day at Blackrock in Salthill for over 40 years.
A group of all-year swimmers held a special service in his memory, led by Fr Ollie Powell at the Blackrock diving tower on Sunday morning.
"He had an innate spirituality, which showed in his love of the beauty of God's creations," said Fr Downey. "He had many noble qualities, including his honesty, integrity, and the way in which he never said a bad word about anyone.
"His nieces and nephews felt that Sean was a second father to them and he was very proud of their achievements."
Despite his modesty, Sean was delighted when both he and Jimmy received honorary degrees from NUI Galway in 2008 and again when the city's new coach station at the Fairgreen was named after him the following year.
He lived in College Road all his life and many of his neighbours helped to fill St Patrick's Church to capacity on Monday. Sean had maintained a keen interest in hurling right up to his death on Thursday and had thoroughly enjoyed the drawn All-Ireland final between Clare and Cork last month. He had been looking forward to the replay.
"As long as hurling is played the story of Sean Duggan will be told and that will be forever," said Fr Downey during his homily.
Fr Downey said the Celts had seen God as a circle and Sean had entered the circle of God when he passed away on Thursday morning.
He also quoted from 'A Hurlers' Prayer' by Seamus Redmond, which ends: "When the final whistle for me has blown, and I stand at last before God's judgement throne, May the great referee when he calls my name, Say your hurled like a man, you played the game."

- Connacht Tribune, October 4th 2013 Tweet

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