The late Michael Lyons I was out of the country on a recent weekend when telephone call confirmed the death of Dungarvan's Michael 'Mikeen' Lyons. The news came to me like a bolt from the blue and notwithstanding the fact that this great GAA stalwart had been in failing health for some time. His first club involvement had been with the now defunct Eire Og club, but he transferred to what would become his beloved Dungarvan about three decades ago and the service he gave to the Old Boro club in all of that time was nothing less than monumental. For more than a decade he was its inspirational chairman, a man for whom no task was ever too great, and a man who all but lived, and in truth died, for the club. The magnificent complex at Clogherane into which he put so much time, effort, and honest commitment will be one of his many lasting legacies and for as long as the games of hurling and football are played under the name of Dungarvan the memory of Mikeen Lyons will live proudly on. To this day his sons, and indeed his family as a collective unit are continuing the tradition and the trail Mikeen so proudly blazed for them. His son Derek captained the club to county senior football championship success in the early 1990s when he was part of a great three-in-a-row winning team, and another of his sons, Bobby, also shared thrillingly in that great era for the Blues. With the juveniles too Mikeen was a veritable tower of strength, but of course the truth of the matter is that in every facet of activity within the club he was centrally and crucially involved. Down the years and decades this famous old club has had many outstanding members and administrators, but its fair to say that none of them ever surpassed the deeds and achievements of Mikeen Lyons. His brother John, who has been Tallow based for most of his adult life, is another former member of the club and has been one of the West Board's three representatives to the County Board for more years than I would care to. To Mikeen's wife Terry, to his sons, daughters, brother, sisters and extended family members in the sincere sympathy of the paper and columnist is extended. Go ndeine Dia trocaire ar a anam dilis. - Waterford News & Star, 2nd December 2008 Tweet

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