Mongan, Michael
May 31, 2006There was profound shock and sadness in the Claremorris area with the news of the sudden death of Michael Mongan, Ballygowan.
Michael died in Mayo General Hospital following a very brief illness of just a few days. He was aged 42 and was a member of one of the most popular families in the parish.
There is a quality about the Mongan family that makes them truly special and you would travel the country to find a more helpful or obliging bunch of lads.
Michael was the second eldest of a family of five sons born to Mary (nee McHugh) and the late Tom Mongan. The family reside beside Ballygowan railway bridge where the trains pass daily to Westport to Dublin and back.
Farming was his way of life and he loved the land and the livestock and the freedom associated with the great outdoors, away from the pressures of offices and 'targets' and other concepts which were alien to him.
Material things held no appeal for Michael. He loved nature in its flowering beauty, this gentle corner of Mayo that he called home, and his family and neighbours who meant everything to him. The watch and the mobile phone were intrusions that he gladly did without. His priorities were built on more solid foundations with roots going back in time.
Michael Mongan was of the opinion that when one had the basics in life, one had everything, and that greed was an intrinsic disease that led to more and more pressures and less contentment. He was very good to his mother and this was a core value in his daily life.
Though he never had a desire to travel abroad, distance was no problem when it came to travelling back home. Night clubs and dance halls from Bundoran and Tullamore and from Longford to the Clare border were all within his travelling range and there were few he missed out on over the years!
His neighbour Mick Diskin was among his close friends and many were the places they soldiered together. Pat Higgins was another who had a special place in Michael's circle of friends.
Michael was a passionate football supporter. In his teenage years, he was up there with the best of them. He won a Connacht Colleges senior 'A' medal with St Colman's in 1981 and was full-back on the team that was pipped by Carmelite College, Moate by a single point following an injury time penalty, in the All-Ireland final of that year.
Like the rest of his family, he travelled many miles to support Mayo and he was a loyal supporter of Claremorris and St Colman's while also having a soft spot for Davitts.
He had a great time for his neighbours and was utterly reliable and dependable to lend a helping hand, especially when it came to matters concerning livestock and farming.
He heart was among his own people and Mid West Radio provided him with many happy moments. Matters relating to the land and the rural way of life, story-telling, traditional ways and anything that encouraged the 'meitheal' spirit of goodness and sharing, found a warm place in his heart.
Michael was renowned for his strength and could undertake tasks that would daunt many a person. He was also blessed with a serene quality whereby he had the ability to 'move on' and face life with fresh enthusiasm and good humour.
Large crowds were present for the funeral ceremonies on both days with removal from Our Lady's Funeral Home to Claremorris Church and burial in St Colman's Cemetery following Requiem Mass celebrated by Fr Peter Gannon, assisted by Fr Jackie Conroy, Fr John O'Boyle, Fr Martin O'Conor and Fr James Quinn. Claremorris GAA Club and neighbours formed a guard of honour.
At the end of the Mass, his friend Pat Higgins paid the following tribute. "Mick Mongan was a very humble man who lived a very simple life, a happy life. He was not a slave to the clock; he never wore a watch, but he had time for people. No mobile phone rang in Mick's pocket, but he was always there when needed.
"Money was not his God but he was always there to help a friend. Life was good and he enjoyed every minute of it. It is hard to believe that he is gone.
"Mick had three great loves in his life, things that really mattered to him; his family, the land and his stock, and the GAA and all things Gaelic.
"He had a deep love for his family, his mother Mary; his father Tom who died in 1981; his brothers Tom, Jim , Hugh and John, they were his first priority in life, everything else was secondary. Their loss is immense.
"Mick still had so much to do in his life. He was happy in his home place. On the lands at Cloontu and Ballygowan, he loved cattle and such was his great sense of humour he even had special names on them.
Of course, the bog during the summer months saw Mick at his best. He was a great worker and he was also a kind and helpful neighbour. He was not afraid to throw in the extra few bags of turf. He had a heart of gold.
There was a special bond with his great friend and neighbour Mick Diskin. They were as thick as thieves, always good humour and the crack was always great.
"Mick had a unique way with him. Friends and neighbours were important. He still managed to travel long distances to many a dance hall and, of course, like so many others, travelled many a mile in support of his beloved Mayo team. His dream was to see Sam Maguire come to Mayo but even in despair of so many defeats, he never lost faith. He was proud of the red and green as he was of the blue of Claremorris and the red of Colaiste Cholmain.
"After leaving national school in Meelickmore, Mick's great and strong character was to be seen on the pitches at St Colman's College. Mick was always a team player and with him at full-back you felt confident. He was a big man in every sense of the word. He was the full-back on the St Colman's team that lost the 1981 Colleges All-Ireland 'A' Final by a point to Carmelite, Moate and he played with Mayo minors that year.
"But the land was his real vocation.
"He became a committed follower of Mayo and Claremorris teams over the years.
"Mick was a very decent human being who would gladly do a good turn and I am sure many people experienced this generosity of spirit. That was the essence of the man.
"The church also had a meaning in his life and he was close to his God in his own private way.
"In today's material world, we could all take a leaf out of Mick's book. He made a big impression on many people during his short life and he will be sadly missed by his family and neighbours. Ni bheidh a leitheid aris ann. Go n-eirigh an bothar leat. A chara, slan go foill."
Michael is deeply regretted by his mother Mary, brothers Tom, Jimmy, Hugh and Johnny, sister-in-law Sarah, uncles Michael Mongan and Hugh McHugh (England), aunts Catherine Travers (Brickens) and Mary Daly (Ballindine), relatives, neighbours and friends. - MC
Courtesy of The Mayo News
31 May 2006 Tweet
