West’s Awake sees Galway hurling legend off on final journey

The West’s Awake, a song that has become synonymous with Joe McDonagh, rang out as his coffin was carried from Mary Immaculate Queen Church in Barna on his way to his final resting place in Rahoon Cemetery.

There was glorious sunshine as hundreds of mourners paid their respects at the funeral mass of Joe McDonagh on Tuesday. Chief mourners included his wife Peig, son Eoin and daughters Muireann and Eilís.

His son Eoin, in a heartfelt bilingual tribute, spoke of his father’s positivity when he was diagnosed with cancer seven months ago.

Eoin, a member of Barna senior football team, told of Joe’s love of the Irish language, his work ethic, and how even in the past few weeks, the former GAA president was reading minutes of meetings.

He spoke of the importance of his mother, Peig, and likened their relationship to that of the Kilkenny hurling teams of the 1990s. Joe was the star forward DJ Carey, getting all the goals, but Peggy was like manager Brian Cody, on the side-line with arms folded – his backbone, his rock and support.

Chief celebrant at the mass was Bishop of Achonry, Brendan Kelly, a friend and former colleague of Joe’s at Coláiste Éinde in Salthill where he taught. He was joined by several other priests including Barna Parish Priest Fr Des Forde.

GAA President Aogán Ó Fearghail spoke highly of Joe’s presidency and said he taught him what it takes to lead the organisation in the right direction.

Gifts to the altar representing his life included flags of Joe’s former clubs, a number five Galway jersey, a copybook and laptop, and an English-Irish dictionary. Representatives of all GAA clubs in Galway, as well as the County Committee, Galway teammates from the All-Ireland winning team in 1980, as well as members of Barna GAA, Ballinderreen GAA and Cortoon Shamrocks formed a guard of honour.

See full coverage in this week’s Connacht Tribune.