The death occurred in late February of Sean Carrigy (78), of Cloran, Athboy, well known across the county and beyond for his involvement in the GAA, greyhound racing, farming and politics. He performed the ceremonial throw-in of the sliothar at the 2011 county senior hurling final between Kildalkey and Navan O'Mahonys.
The Carrigy family of Cloran has a long tradition in Gaelic games in Athboy and deceased played his part in maintaining that tradition. Like his father, Tommy senior, Sean Carrigy served the club has both player and chairman. His father won senior hurling championship medals with Athboy in the late 1920s, and an all Ireland junior hurling championship with Meath in 1927 and was elected chairman in the 1950s.
Sean played both hurling and football in the 1950s and '60s. In 1955, Athboy won the Junior A and Junior B hurling championships and in 1957, the Junior A football championship, and deceased was a member of all three panels. His brothers, Tommy and Pat were on senior hurling winning teams in the 1960s and '70s. When his playing days ended in the 1960s, he got involved at committee level and served as chairman and vice chairman at various periods in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. During this time, he also served as selector and mentor to numerous adult and underage Athboy teams. He was a selector for Clann na Gael's most recent success, the Junior A football championship of 2007, where his nephew Thomas Carrigy was in the half back line.
Sean represented Athboy and Clann na nGael for three decades at county board level, hardly ever missing a meeting. On match days in Athboy, he was always one of the first men to be seen helping out at the GAA grounds. He was also active in fundraising and development, and a familiar sight selling club lottery tickets in the town on a Saturday night. In 2003, he presented the Carrigy Cup to the County Board in memory of his late father, to be played for in the under-21 hurling championship. At the time of his passing, he was vice-chairman of the club and a selector with the intermediate team.
Another sport he was greatly involved in was greyhound racing, and he owned numerous dogs, breeding his own with the Cloran pre-fix. One successful dog he was involved with was Athboy Lass, owned in partnership with Georgina Horan of Kilmessan. Deceased was a well-known figure at the greyhound tracks in Longford, Mullingar and Newbridge.