The death took place on August 29th of Michael Shanahan, Kylenoe, Horse and Jockey at the Community Hospital of the Assumption, Thurles after a long illness. Michael, affectionately known as 'Sticks', was aged 72 years. He was a member of the farming community and was well known in sporting circles. As a handballer he won many county, Munster and All-Ireland titles. Partnered by Tom Doheny, The Commons, the pair won the All-Ireland junior hardball championship in 1958. The same year he reached the last eight in the Gael Linn tournament, an event open to all Ireland and at the time this was very high rating for the Kylenoe man in a most prestigious competition. Four years later in partnership with John Ryan, also The Commons, the duo was successful in winning the All-Ireland senior doubles championship. In 1954, to mark the opening of the Horse and Jockey ball alley after refurbishment a tournament was organised which paraded the best handball talent in the country such as Larry Rowe and Austin Clarke (Dublin, Des Dillon (Clare), Joe Bergin (Nenagh) and Joe Hynes (Dublin). michael played the latter on that day and like all six was the recipient of a specially struck medal for the occasion, engraved Horse and Jockey Golden Jubilee. With the Moycarkey Borris GAA Club, 'Sticks' was prominent as a hurler and footballer. He was a member of the parish senior sides in the late 1950s and early 1960s and the 1954 No. 1 hurling Mid and country championship sides. He also won a Mid senior hurling league medal with the club in 1957. like a lot of his colleagues the time, he played when the club were going through a lean period and in fact that a Mid league medal was th only senior competition of not won by the club from 1943 to 1965. He also competed in athletics with Moycarkey Athletic Club and in 1961 won a Co.Tipperary junior runners-up medal.Whether as a hurler or footballer Michael was always a tough teak player and usually played in the forward line. 'Sticks' was a most durable athlete in a variety of sports and brought many hours of joy to his supporters on the playing fields and ball courts. A couple of years ago he was awarded for his sporting achievements when elected to the Sean Gael Hall of Fame. he followed all sports and had a special attachment to all parish teams in their chosen sports. An amiable and likable man, he liked nothing better than to have an odd bet on the horses and dogs. Members of the moycarkey - Borris Clubs and the Tipperary Handball Board formed a guard of honour at the funeral and the coffin was draped in the club and county colours. At the Requiem Mass in St Peter's Church, Moycarkey the following clergy officiated: Fr. George Burke PP, Fr. Joe Tynan CC, Moycarkey - Borris, Fr John McGrath Mullinahone, Fr. John O'Keeffe, Gornahoe, Fr. Tom Breen, Ballingarry and Fr. Bernard Healy, Kerry. Burial took place in the old cemetery, Moycarkey. Michael is mourned by his loving family, brother; Ned (Athlone), sisters; Claire and Madeline, nephews, nieces, brother-in-law Tom, sister-in-law Marguerite, other relatives and many friends. Courtesy of the Tipperary Star. 15 September, 2007. Tweet

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