Hoare, Mick
April 21, 2009
The Late Mick Hoare
There was widespread shock and sadness in Roscommon town and over a wide area at the death of Mick Hoare of Henry Street, Roscommon.
Mick Hoare was a legend in Roscommon town GAA circles, having played football and hurling locally. He also coached thousands of young footballers and hurlers in Roscommon town over a number of decades in a life that was dedicated to Gaelic games.
Aged 76, Mick Hoare worked for Roscommon County Council until his retirement. His GAA career was littered with success on and off the field. He won a minor football championship with St. Coman's in 1950 and was on the Roscommon minor panel that won the All-Ireland title in 1951.
Mick won a junior hurling county championship with Roscommon Gaels in 1959.
He won no less than seven Roscommon senior hurling titles. He was captain of the Roscommon junior team that won the All-Ireland title in 1965. He also won senior county titles with St. Coman's and he won a Roscommon SFC title with Roscommon Gaels in 1962.
He retired from playing in 1971 and in 1972 he managed Roscommon Gaels to win the Roscommon SFC title. He managed the Gaels to win several SFC titles. He was manager when Roscommon Gaels won the All-Ireland seven-a-side tournament in 1974 and he was also manager when Roscommon Gaels reached the All-Ireland Club senior final in 1976 when they were beaten by a star studded St. Vincent's team.
Mick Hoare managed St Faithleach's to win the 1977 O'Rourke Cup. Among the several awards he won during a glittering career was Texaco Hurler of the Year in 1969. He was elected to the Roscommon Gaels Hall of Fame in 1992.
Mick Hoare managed every single Roscommon Gaels underage team in hurling and football and he also managed he Post Office team to win the All-Ireland interfirms title twice in the 1980s.
Mick was one of the hardest working, most amiable and talented club footballers and hurlers ever to grace the football fields of Roscommon. He was a brilliant coach and motivator to thousands of hurlers and footballers over many decades.
I was one of those coached by Mick at underage level from U-10 to senior. Although he was always going to struggle with someone of my limited ability, he treated everyone the same. There were no stars on Mick Hoare's teams. His work over the years bore fruit with many of those he coached going on to play for Roscommon in recent years. His dedication, hard work and most of all his fair mindedness and his cool temperament made Mick Hoare a true legend of Gaelic games in Roscommon town.
The word legend is often abused in the modern era in all walks of life but in this case it is the most accurate way of describing a man who gave his life to his work with the council, his family and the GAA.
Mick's funeral was one of the biggest seen in Roscommon town for many years and it was a fitting tribute to a man who achieved so much on and off the field of play, in his working and family life too.
To his grieving wife Margaret, and his family sons Pat, Paulie, Mike, Deckie and Shane and to his daughters Kitty, Teresa, Dervilla, Marie and Sinead. I want to extend my deepest sympathy. Ni bheidh a leithead an aris. A Dheis de go raibh a anam.
Courtesy of the Roscommon Herald
21st April 2009
By Seamus Duke
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