The Late Seamus Smith Gaelic players, past and present, as well as members of the extended GAA community in Longford, gathered in huge numbers at Edgeworthstown to mourn the passing of one of their own, Seamus Smith. Members of the local fire and rescue service also turned out in full dress uniform to pay their respects to a former member of their division. A stalwart of Gaelic football as both a player and coach, Seamus passed away peacefully at Laurel Lodge Nursing Home in Longford on January 7. He is mourned by his wife Kathleen; brothers Mickey, Brian and John; sisters Kitty and Nancy, and a large extended family. He worked as a coach with Longford County Board for ten years, a role that saw him become a familiar figure to primary school children the length and breadth of the county. Many of them went on to play for their county at various grades and they turned out in force at the funeral mass in St. Mary's Church, Edgeworthstown. Longford County Board Chairman, Pat Cahill, said that Seamus was "adored by school children throughout Longford" and will be sadly missed by many. "As one of the GAA's great servants, Seamus was a great loss to the association. He came into the coaching setup at the start of the County Board's school link and he was the right type of person to have when starting up a new programme. He helped things run smoothly," said Mr Cahill. Former colleagues from the coaching days paid tribute to his easy going style and excellent rapport with young players. "His own enthusiasm generated a feel good air among everybody," remarked TJ Ward who worked as Games Promotion Officer with Seamus during those years. "He was a lovely individual and children really responded very well to him". "He was extremely good with young people," recalled Martin Skelly, who served as Coaching and Games Development Officer during that period. "Because of his nice, low key manner- he was always relaxed and laid back- he was quite skilled in getting his message across. Seamus got kids to respond without ever having to resort to shouting." A member of a staunch football family, he attended the old boys' national school in Edgeworthstown and played at underage level with Wolfe Tones Minor Club. After breaking onto the senior team, he featured on all the successful Mostrim sides of the late 1960s and 1970s. With brothers Brian and John, the three Smiths formed a formidable half-back line during these years. Seamus played on the left wing, with John in the centre and Brian on the right. His eldest brother Mickey regularly lined out as a forward. That half-back line was central to Mostrim's success during those years and they won the Junior Championship in 1966, the Intermediate Championship in 1967, the senior League in 1968, the Leader Cup in 1970, and finally took the Senior Championship in 1974. They were beaten in the senior final of 1975. Though small in stature, the three brothers were known for their remarkable skill, energy and heart on the pitch. Seamus was remembered as a player of boundless energy and determination who could run all day long. The Leader report of the 1974 final remarked: "Back in defence, the three Smith brothers, Brian, John and Seamus, were magnificent all through and were responsible for taking much of the edge of the Ardagh half forward line, of which so much was expected. The Smiths took control from the start and Seamus had a blinder in the first half". It was Mostrim's first very Senior Championship title. It was during these years that his involvement with underage teams began: he trained the local schoolboy team and soon became involved with various grades in Wolfe Tones. His involvement with the minor club strecthed across almost three decades and among Wolfe Tones' many successes during those years was the county minor title in 2002, as part of the Pearses amalgamation with Ballymore. Seamus was a team selector. Though coaching had become his passion, he continued to play the game at junior level and also lined out for the County Masters (over forties) side for a few years. He was drafted into the County Board's expanding coaching setup in the early nineties. By then, his reputation as an intelligent and well-liked coach with Wolfe Tones was well-known and County Board Officials were glad to have him come on board as part of a FÁS scheme. He stayed with Longford GAA for ten years, conducting weekly coaching sessions at primary schools through out the county. Along with coaches like John McMahon, Mary Blake and Willie Murray, he was known to children everywhere and he continued to work with them at the Leinster GAA Summer Camps every summer. A significant portion of Longford's underage success in recent years can be attributed to these coaching initiatives, as well as the 'elite' and 'development' squads that were established for county's under -14 and juvenile players during the nineties and which Seamus played a prominent role in coaching. Though he was ill in recent years and unable to continue that work, he remained a familiar figure in crowds at Gaelic football fixtures in Longford and further afield. At his funeral it was remarked that his loyalties always lay with Mostrim, Longford and Meath (from where his father hailed). An almost constant flow of people passed through Edgeworthstown for three days to pay their respects. Among those to carry his remains were member of Mostrim's 1974 team. Apart from his involvement in GAA, Seamus was member of Edgeworthstown Fire and Rescue Service. Current members turned out in full dress uniform and formed a guard of honour, escorting the hearse from the church graveyard. Former members of Edgeworthstown Fire and Rescue Service formed a guard of honour outside the fire station, alongside two of the current engines. Seamus Smith is survived by his wife Kathleen (nee Cox); brothers Mickey, Brian and John; sisters Kitty and Nancy; mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nephews, nieces, grandnephews, grandnieces, cousins and relatives. The management and staff of the Longford Leader would like to express their sympathy to the Smith family on their loss. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis. Courtesy of the Longford Leader 18th January 2008 Tweet

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