The death took place recently of one of life's gentlemen, PJ Mahon, who made a massive contribution to the GAA in a variety of roles during his long life.
The Walsh Island man was synonymous with the GAA in his native club but also made a rich contribution to his county. Under manager, Eugene McGee, he was a selector on the Offaly team that won a famous All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1982 and it was a doubly proud occasion for him as that legendary team included four players from his beloved Walsh Island: Richie and Matt Connor and their first cousins, Tomas and Liam O'Connor.
Those four players were all crucial members of the team and they benefitted from the foundations PJ Mahon and others laid in Walsh Island GAA club over many years.
Walsh Island made an epic contribution to Offaly football in the 1970s and 80s. One of their most famous figures, Willie Bryan was captain of the first Offaly side to bring the Sam Maguire Cup to the county in 1971, with Murt Connor, an older brother of Richie and Matt, scoring the decisive goal in the All-Ireland final win over Galway.
Just over a decade later, Richie Connor was the captain as Offaly denied Kerry of an unprecedented five in a row, Matt was the team's star forward and Liam and Tomas O'Connor were towers of strength at full back and midfield, respectively.
Those players all developed and nourished their own talents but will be the first to acknowledge the role played by back ground stalwarts such as PJ Mahon.
For over four decades, during which he served as club secretary, PJ Mahon was a leading figure in Walsh Island GAA Club. He served as club secretary for fifty years in total, spanning an era from the 1940s when he took over to the early 1990s, when he finally stepped down.
Born on June 11 1922, PJ Mahon was a young boy when Walsh Island GAA Club was founded in 1930 and they soon embarked on the first of their two golden eras, winning the Offaly Senior Football Championship on six occasions from 1933 to 1943.
PJ won medals himself in 1938, 1942 and 1943, though he always down played his contribution to those successes and his ability as a player - he played mainly in the forward line and occasionally in midfield.
Born at Eneghan, Walsh Island, where he lived all his life, he received his early education in Walsh Island National School and later attended Portlaoise CBS and Knockbeg College, where he won a Leinster colleges senior football medal in 1938 - one of his team mates was legendary Laois footballer, the famed 'Boy Wonder', Tommy Murphy.
From a farming background, he farmed all his life and was regarded as an excellent and astute farmer. He engaged mainly in dry stock and tillage, and in later years reared sucklers as well as tillage. He loved the hustle-bustle of marts and was a member of the committee of Golden Vale Marts for many years.
He enjoyed a life time love affair with the GAA. In 1952, he along with John Kavanagh, Charlie Kelly and the legendary Bill Mulhall were the main figures as Walsh Island GAA club borrowed money to purchase their playing pitch.
He was club secretary and regularly a selector of their teams, during both good and bad times. He was a particularly proud man when Walsh Island embarked on an extraordinary run, winning the Senior Football Championship for a record six times in a row from 1978 to 1983. That team is rightly regarded as the greatest Offaly club side of all time and PJ was a selector and secretary for most of those years, apart from one year in the late 70s when Richie Connor took over.
He was a passionate GAA man and was an expert on the Official Guide - Indeed, several clubs and individuals received PJ's help and advice with appeals and objections down the years.
He also served as an Offaly selector on a number of occasions, at both minor and senior level. He was a selector when Offaly won the Leinster Senior Football Championship for the first time in 1960 and retained it a year later in 1961, losing out to Down in a famous All-Ireland final - he represented junior clubs from north Offaly on a big selection committee in those years.
Most significantly, he was a selector as Offaly embarked on an epic voyage in the 1980s, winning three Leinster senior titles in 1980, 81 and '82 and of course the '82 All-Ireland final - he was appointed as a selector alongside Paddy Fenlon, Sean Foran and Leo Grogan after a managerial upheaval saw some of the previous selectors replaced at the end of the 1970s.
During a time when Eugene McGee's management was often under scrutiny and threat, he was a firm backer and believer in the Longford man. After McGee stepped down as manager after 1983, he served as a selector under Greg Hughes and John Courtney before ending his involvement at that level.
He was Walsh Island's County Board delegate for over fifty years and his opinions were always valued. He always fought the corner of his club, most memorable at one stage in the early 1990s when he argued passionately against their proposed relegation from senior football, stating that they had a right to remain senior and referring to their contribution to Offaly - Walsh Island eventually did plummet down the ranks, to junior level at one stage, before returning to senior in recent years.
The proud recipient of an Offaly GAA Sean Gael and AIB club person of the year awards a few years ago, he was thrilled by the visit of many famous former Offaly and Walsh Island footballers as his health declined in latter years and these gave him a massive boost.
He was 91 at the time of his recent passing and remained alert and interested in the affairs of the day right up to the end - He enjoyed keeping abreast of current affairs and reading newspapers and looking at the news on television was part of his nightly ritual.
In his younger days, he kept and raced some greyhounds but GAA and farming were his major devotions in life, apart from his wife Gertrude and family, whom he adored.
A great conversationalist, PJ was a great judge of GAA affairs and players and will be fondly remembered by all who knew him. He possessed a lovely gentle character and was one of those unique individuals who no one had a bad word to say about.
He is survived by his wife, Gertude, children, Peter, Brendan, Angela and Jim, sister Kit and a wide circle of relatives and friends, to whom sincere sympathy is extended.
May he rest in peace.

Tullamore Tribune, 25th July 2013 Tweet

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