The late John Moloney It was with deep sadness that we learned of the unexpected death of John Moloney, the esteemed President of the Galtee Rovers/St. Pecauns club. He was recently also appointed President of the West Board na nOg. He was a gentleman on and off the field and a great servant to his club in Bansha, being involved in their developments over the last thirty years. John was also well known nationally as an excellent referee. He referred five senior all Ireland Football finals and one All Ireland Hurling final, as well as eleven Munster finals two in hurling and nine in football. John also officiated at Divisional and County final stage for all levels in County Tipperary and Division. His last official Board appointment was to referee the O'Donoughe Cup final in 1999. John was also involved very strongly in GAA off the field and was one of the driving forces behind the Sean Gael awards in Tipperary and he himself was a recipient award in 2004 for his contribution to the GAA. John will be sadly missed especially by his family and large circle of friends, and the community in his beloved parish. May he rest in peace. Courtesy of The Tipperary Star 14 October 2006 The unexpected death of John Moloney, Bansha, one of the country's top GAA referees for years, occasioned great regret throughout the county and, indeed, much further a field where he was so highly respected. John was President of the Galtee Rovers GAA Club and contributed enormously to his development, particularly in the 1970s when facilities at Bansha were transformed through a series of tournament games featuring the top club sides in Munster and Leinster. However, it was a as a referee that he was most widely known. His style of refereeing set the standard for many who were to follow. Always immaculately attired on the pitch, whether taking charge of a juvenile or inter-county game, he carried out his duties in an efficient and informative way, never giving less than his best no matter what the level of the game. He is best known for having refereed five senior football All-Irelands and he also was prominently involved in the conducting of courses for young referees. John was also the driving force in the establishment of Cumann na Sean Gaeil in the county, an organisation which annually honours GAA members over seventy for their service at a variety of levels to the association. He himself was a recipient of the President's Awards in recognition of his services to the GAA. Through all these activities radiated John's cheerfulness and good humour. His understanding of the games and the commitment of the players to reaching the highest standards, made him very popular with them, a remarkable achievement in the very difficult role he carried. At the county senior hurling semi-finals the crows stood in silence for a minute as a mark of respected. Despite his huge involvement in the GAA, John also found time to help out in his parish and he was a leading light in the Bansha Agricultural Show for many years. As one of his refereeing protege's John Lonergan, former Tipperary Person of the Year, said in his graveside oration, John was a leader in the parish, following in the footsteps of the great Canon Hayes, founder of Munitir naTire, an organisation to which John himself contributed handsomely. Evidence of his standing in his parish, county and nationally was clearly seen in the huge concourse of people who attended the removal of his remains to Bansha Church. His coffin, draped in the Galtee Rovers colours, was flanked by a Guard of Honour representative of all levels of the association. Burial followed concelebrated Requiem Mass in the adjoining cemetery. Fittingly, the parish of Bansha turned out in force to pay its tribute to one of its own, with a large force of stewards and caterers attending to the needs of the many, many people who arrived to pay their final respects. Sincere sympathy is extended to his wife, Betty; sons, John, Anthony, Cathal, Padraig, Andrew, Brian and Jarlath; daughter-in-law, grandchild, brother, sisters and all his relatives on the loss of a wonderful husband, father and grandfather whose life so greatly influenced those of so many more. Courtesy of The Tipperary Star 14 October 2006 Tweet

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