Seamus Connaughton, who has died at the age of 82 was a much loved and respected member of his community in Barnacarroll and Claremorris. Following the passing of his sister Nell in December 2008, Seamus moved to Mount Crescent in Claremorris and continued to live there up to the time of his recent illness.
Born at Ballybrehony South, close to Barnacarroll, he inherited his uncle's Jim McCormack's farm at Bolinree outside Claremorris and farmed there until the late 1990s when he moved back to live at Ballybrehony South to take care of his sister Nell and brother Tommy.
An accomplished footballer and musician, Seamus was a lifelong member of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association and had a significant involvement in the development of his community and the promotion of services to his community.
All through his life he held an enormous interest in sport of all kinds. In his youth he played football with the Barnacarroll GAA club of which he was a founder member and was instrumental in the club joining the Claremorris GAA Club in the early 1950s.
He was the proud custodian of memorabilia of teams he played with such as the Barnacarroll Junior Team 1951, Claremorris Junior Team 1953 and the Claremorris Junior champions 1960. As a player he was described as tough and as having a safe pair of hands either keeping goal or playing outfield. He maintained a lifelong interest in Gaelic sports.
He was honoured by Claremorris GAA club in July 2011 for his contributions and achievement at the 50th Anniversary of 1960/1961 football teams.
In more recent times his sporting interests broadened to include English, Scottish and European football.
The Connaughton brothers were noted locally for their prowess at card playing and travelled to play across the South Mayo region. Poor card playing was suffered with some indifference. His own mastery of the game of 25 honed a quiet wit and an understanding that if novice card players were to be encouraged, a wise word was more readily accepted than a harsh one.
Seamus worked tirelessly down through tough years as a member and steward of the Claremorris Agricultural Show Committee and was a course builder during the Show's golden years in the late 1960s and 1970s.
As a member of the Show's finance committee for many years he was involved in running carnivals, dances in the old Isaac's Top 20 Ballroom, later in marquees and finally in the new Town Hall in Claremorris. This was a venue he would become associated with for many years, particularly his role in the ticket office during the early days of the dance hall and show-band eras.
Always very alert of mind and spirit at the age of 80 he decided it was time to start surfing the net and have his own email account. This allowed him to maintain connections with relations at home and abroad.
Seamus had a great love for traditional and country music and was a brilliant harmonica player. When his cousin Marty McCormack, Chicago, visited Ireland with his band Switchback in recent years, Seamus contributed to at least two of the band's popular videos.
The Connaughton house was know as a good visiting house in the days when calling on friends and neighbours was an essential part of the social life of every small community.
It was a house where stories were shared, family trees determined and news exchanged.
Seamus kept up that tradition when he moved to Claremorris and formed new networks of friends.
He never married and is survived by his sister Gretta (Fleming) and a fond circle of relatives. He was comforted in his last weeks by many of the friends he had made, played with and against, and toiled together with over many years. Their deep affection for him and loss at his passing was particularly telling.
Seamus was laid to rest in family burial plot at Barnacarroll cemetery, not far from his birthplace.
Born on March 16, 1931, he died July 2, 2013. May he rest in peace.

Mayo News, 27th August 2013 Tweet

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