Long-serving club stalwart Tom a cut above the rest

Date Published: {J}

To GAA folk, Tom Nally’s would be a face most will recognise, be it through his lifetime associations with St Michael’s football or Rahoon/ Newcastle hurling clubs, as a long-serving Gaelic games referee, or, simply, as the affable barber based on Shop Street in Galway City.

In any event, Tom Nally is a man worth talking to, even if it is just to get his thoughts on a particular issue. He has a great interest in his locality and this is underlined by the many publications he has produced relating to his native Shantalla and his beloved St Michael’s Club, of which he is currently compiling a history.

As one of six children born to Frank and Molly Nally, Tom grew up in Shantalla, across from the local field where St Michael’s GAA Club was founded in 1956.

A young boy at that time, Nally does not remember those early days, or of the club’s minor teams winning the three-in-a-row of championships between 1958 and ’60.

“They used to train in Shantalla pitch just across the road from me, though, so it was always a familiar sight to me,” says Nally. “I always wanted to play for that club as a result.”

In 1967, Nally – who had played under Br James Moran and Br Hugh Costello at St Pat’s NS and later Jack Mahon at the vocational school on Fr Griffin Road – realised that childhood ambition when he lined out for the club’s juveniles.

“I played my first senior championship match with Michael’s in 1971,” recalls Nally. “Michael’s were senior that time and it was against Ballygar. We won that game by two points.

“Mattie McDonagh and Sean Cleary were playing with Ballygar at the time. I played corner forward that day, but I didn’t get on the scoresheet. We got beaten the next time out against Milltown. I would have been 19 in ’71.”

Although St Michael’s were relegated in the ensuing years, they did make a return to the top flight in the mid ’80s. “We came back up in ’85 – I was also chairman that year – and we won the intermediate championship and league double. It was the first adult county title we won.

“There were great celebrations afterwards; they went on for about three months! Hard to believe it is 25 years ago this year. So, that was a particular highlight of my career, because I was a player and chairman of the club that year. That said, I didn’t play in the final, even though I was a selector. I was dropped for the final,” he laughs. “It didn’t bother me really; I enjoyed the training.”

In the early 1990s, St Michael’s were relegated from the senior grade again. There they languished for nearly two decades . . . until they won the intermediate championship for a second time in 2008, so making their return to senior.

“We have a very good support base in the city at the moment, and the present crop of players is probably the best we have ever had in the club. So, the club is in great hands at the moment. I also have to praise the present management team of manager Paddy Regan, John Ruane and Peter Curran,” says Nally, who also lauds the contributions from dedicated servants like Joe Corcoran, Tommie Kelly, Pat Walsh, Frank Rice and Gerry Dooley over the years.

As for Nally, himself, he continued to play for Michael’s until 1998 – finishing his club career in the junior ranks. “My son Kenneth and myself actually played for Michael’s for three years on the one (junior) team,” says the Shop Street barber.

“The first time we ever played together was on Father’s Day. Kenneth played in the half-forward line. He was winning all the ball and giving it to me so I could get all the scores,” he grins.

“I also played a lot of hurling with Rahoon/Newcastle. We had not a lot of success, but that was certainly not Gerry Cloherty’s fault. He drove on the club for years, for a very long time.”

As it so happened, the end of Nally’s playing days coincided with his sojourn into refereeing. “Although I had been doing games before that, I refereed my first senior championship match in Galway in ’98,” continues the West Board Treasurer of 12 years standing. “That first senior game was in Inverin, between Killanin and An Cheathru Rua. I was very pleased with how it went.”

Since then, the St Michael’s club-man – who has travelled the length and breadth of the county with his umpires, men such as Frank Rice, Brendan Molloy, Gerry Creavin, Tom Kelly, Barry Cummins and Tom Burke – has refereed every major county decider, including the meeting of Corofin and Caltra in the 2006 senior championship final.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.