Sadness at death of Miko Donoghue

There was great sadness in Galway GAA circles this week with the passing on Tuesday of Miko Donoghue, a name synonymous with hurling in his native club and county.

He gave a lifetime of service to the GAA both at club level with his native Clarinbridge and with Galway as a player, administrator and passionate supporter.

Miko – who established a highly successful coach business in his native Clarinbridge – will also be remembered fondly as ‘the man behind the wheel’ during the golden era of Galway hurling in the 1980s.

He was the bus driver of the teams that won senior All-Ireland titles in 1980, 1987 and 1988, renowned for his attention to detail and making sure that no one was ever left behind.

A former assistant treasurer and treasurer of the Galway Hurling Board, he took tremendous pride in the county successes and also in the rejuvenation of his native Clarinbridge, who went on to achieve All-Ireland club glory in 2011.

Although in failing health over recent years, there were emotional scenes back in September 2017 in Ballinasloe when Miko was famously pictured with his son Micheál, manager of the All-Ireland winning team and the Liam McCarthy Cup.

This is a preview only. For more, see this week’s Connacht Tribune