Fahey, Paul
September 28, 2010The sudden death of Paul Fahey last week at the age of 67 robbed Breaffy GAA club of one of their most legendary and recognisable figures.
A long serving player, referee, selector, coach and county board delegate with the club, Paul Fahey was a constant and popular presence around Breaffy from the 1950s onwards and was one of the most influential figures in the history of the club.
A Mayo minor for two years, Paul won a Connacht Minor title in 1961. The team would lose the All-Ireland final to Cork.
Further into the 1960's, Paul Fahey played regularly with the Mayo juniors and was on the fringes of the Mayo senior squad.
At club level he was instrumental in leaving Breaffy to their first ever Mayo junior football title in 1966. Playing at full-forward, he kicked 2-5 in the semi-final win over Claremorris and scored that was described in The Mayo News of the day as 'the perfect goal' in the final, running from half-way before firing into the corner of the net to help Breaffy to a 4-7 to 3-5 win over Swinford.
It would be another thirty years before Breaffy won a county junior and Paul was able to look on with great pride that day in 1996 as his sons Robert, Danny and mark all featured for the winning Breaffy team. He also took immense satisfaction from watching each of his sons represent Mayo at underage level.
That 1996 Junior team had featured many players who had come through the ranks of Bord na nOg in Breaffy, which had been set-up by Paul in the early 1980s together with former Mayo player Fr JJ Cribbin, while Paul's wife Mary was heavily involved as secretary. For a lot of this time, Paul was the club's county board delegate and an active referee - although he would have been the first to admit he was a fierce critic of referees too!
In 1999 he was a selector for the Breaffy senior team in their first ever year playing senior league and championship and for a number of years before the turn of the century he was also a selector on the Mayo Under 16 Ted Webb team.
Although he took a back seat at club level in recent years, Paul was still a regular presence at Breaffy's grounds, across the road from his house, for both training sessions and matches at all grades. He supported Breaffy teams in all kinds of weather.
Paul will be sorely missed by all who played under him. His removal on Wednesday evening, followed by funeral Mass on Thursday morning was attended by a large crowd, an indication of the high esteem Paul was held in. peaceful rest to his gentle soul
Courtesy of Edwin McGreal & The Mayo News 28/9/10 Tweet
