Donaghy, Seamus
February 19, 201019 February 2010
Seamus Donaghy (spelt Donaghey around his native Dromore), one of Tyrone's top forwards during the early 1970s, has died in New York. He was 60.
From Dromore in west Tyrone, he qualified as a schoolteacher out of Trench House Belfast, where he was coached in a high calibre 'Ranch' Gaelic football team by legendary Derry midfielder Jim McKeever.
Generally a flying wing forward who featured swerve and nerve, Donaghy was a flamboyant figure in a Tyrone team that won the Ulster Senior Football Championship in 1973. Down were well beaten in Clones as Tyrone captured their first provincial title in 16 years.
Blessed with natural skills, the versatile Donaghy also showed great ability for boxing, and was part a Trench House team once coached by the Belfast Immaculata Club's famed fight trainer Ned McCormick.
Former Fermanagh midfielder Dessie Campbell, a 59-year-old born in Tempo, was one of the 'fiery four' - along with Donaghy, Frankie Quinn and McGrath - who launched the boxing phase at the Ranch. Saddened by the death of his great buddy, Campbell said: "Seamus was one of the most talented footballers I had the pleasure of playing alongside and also against.
"We were in the Trench House team that competed in the Antrim League, and also against Queen's University in the Trench Cup.
"Once, we took a notion of starting a boxing team at Trench House and had coaching help from Ned McCormick and also the Immaculata club's Olympian Jim McCourt.
"We held a show at The Ranch - where we boxed against a Queen's University team.
"Seamus did a good imitation of Muhammad Ali. He was a very affable fellow, and one of those athletes who could turn his hand to any sport - and be top quality.
"After we came out of Trench House, Seamus and I went to work in London for six months.
"During that period we came home to play for our respective county teams, and he was one of the big players when Tyrone beat us [Fermanagh] in the Ulster semi-final at Clones. Seamus scored a goal in that game."
Donaghy and Tom McGrath emigrated to America. Later, there was a report of the multi-talented Donaghy dabbling in soccer with the New York Cosmos second-string squad during the glamour period in the mid-'70s when Pele played for the Cosmos.
Tragically, Seamus Donaghy suffered a stroke 11 years ago and, since then, bravely battled against illness. His remains were flown home from New York.
Courtesy of Denis O'Hara and the Irish News
(dated February 10th, 2010)
************
As a nephew of the late Seamus Donaghey i would like to pass on this information to you. Seamus was born on the 1st April 1950 and was the second oldest of eight boys to parents the late Mary and Jim Donaghey O'Neill Terrace, Dromore, Co Tyrone. He went to St Michaels College in Enniskillen and later qualified as a teacher out of Trench House Belfast. He showed many talents while studying including taking up boxing, running as well as his main passion for gaelic football where he began to excel. During this time Seamus played at every level at club, college and county level.
Seamus came to prominence on the county scene in 1968. He was on the Tyrone junior team that beat Mayo in the All-Ireland junior Home Final and later London in the away final. At collegiate level, Seamus was one of the pivotal players that saw The Ranch become a major force in the Higher Education scene. In the early part of his playing career Seamus shuttled regularly between Tyrone and New York and won two New York senior football medals with the star-studded Monaghan squad in 1968 & 1969. In 1971 he lined out for Ulster against a Big Apple selection, while the following year he donned the New York sweater to play against Kerry in the Cardinal Cushing games. The next year, the peripatetic player was Tyrone's centre-forward when they won the Ulster championship in 1973. Later in the year, Tyrone overcame New York in a two-game series of the National League with Donaghey reported as playing havoc against the Big Apple defence. This was when Seamus became synonymous with the phrase "Serve with the Nerve".
In 1974 Seamus played for New York against Donegal in the Ulster Championship and also toured with the Big Apple squad in Australia in 1975. The same year he helped Sligo win the New York championship defeating Connemara 1-5 to 6 points. In 1977 Seamus was again in the victor's circle as Sligo defeated Donegal in the final. In addition to his extensive involvement with the Sligo club Seamus was also a key part of the New York senior football management squad during this era, principally as a trainer. In 1980 he was part of a very talented New York squad that defeated Galway in a two game series of the Gael Linn Cup. During this spell of his playing career when he was at his peak, Donaghey was arguably one of the finest players in New York, though ocassionally he had to play second fiddle to his fellow county man Frank McGuigan. Seamus was also a very keen sports man and also played with the New York Cosmos soccer club during the 1970's, an era in which the legendary Pele also lined out with the famous Cosmos.Seamus also had a strong connection with his local club Dromore St Dympnas and travelled across the Atlantic on a number of occasions to don the blue of Dromore, most notably in the 1977 county final against Carrickmore.
Seamus has been survived by his partner Tanya and his brothers John, Charles, Joseph, Aidan, Noel, Pat and the late Michael and the wider family circle.
May he rest in peace.
Slan
Out thanks to the Donaghey family for the above inclusion. Tweet
