Bohan, Joe
January 10, 2014A product of the famed St. Mel's Longford, he played as a wing back for three consecutive years. To be selected for two years was an outstanding achievement; three years was an athletic rarity.
Joe won Leinster Senior Colleges medals in 1945 and 1946, plus he was also selected on the Leinster All Star Colleges team. At county level, Joe won a Connacht Minor medal in 1945, and Connacht Junior medals in 1949 and '52 respectively. During these years it was rare for a Leitrim player to be recognised for the Connacht team, as Leitrim had been regraded to junior status.
However, it was a good indication of Joe's stature as he managed to win a Railway Cup medal in 1951 against Munster. Though he played club football mostly with Gortletteragh, Joe won Leitrim Senior Championship medals with Cloone in 1947, and Aughavas in 1952.
He later emigrated to England where he was a regular on the Tara and London teams for a number of years. In 1957 Joe arrived in New York, and, won a New York Senior championship medal in 1958. Later that year Joe was a member of the New York team that lost to All-Ireland champions Dublin in the final of the St. Brendan's Cup.
After his playing days ended Joe was involved as a trainer, coach, selector and administrator with the Leitrim Club for many years. Large crowds attended the wake in Pearl River, and tributes were paid by members of the Leitrim GFC and members of The County Leitrim Society of New York to the late Joe for his promotion of all things Leitrim over the years. Mass of the Christian Burial was celebrated on January 4th at St. Margaret's Church, Pearl River, and burial followed to St Anthony's Cemetery, Nanuet, New York.
Leitrim Observer, 10th January 2014 Tweet
