Former county player remembered with great fondness

There was widespread shock and sadness in Castlerea and the surrounding area when word filtered through about the sudden passing of Padraic Shallow, Cloonchambers, Castlerea.

I was shocked when I received the call at 2.30 p.m. on Saturday week last with the sad news. We had been lifelong friends. Whenever he would be in Castlerea, before he came back to live here in 2018, he always paid me a visit to see how I was.

His late father, Joe, came to work in the Land Commission in Castlerea in the early 1960s. He lived with his wife Bridie and two children, Padraic and Joe, and they resided on Main Street, Castlerea.

His father was a great footballer and played with Creggs for many years. Padraic was also a great footballer.

He had a great football brain, and a “great belt” of a ball.

He could kick the old pigskin football off the ground from 50 yards over the bar.

I had the pleasure of training him during his football career while he lived in Castlerea and what a success that was.

*In 1965, he won a Connacht Colleges Division C Junior Championship with St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Castlerea.

*He won a County Juvenile U-15 Championships with Castlerea in 1964, 1965, and 1966.

*County minor championship in 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, and runner-up in 1966.

*U-21 county championship in 1969, 1970, and runner-up in 1971.

*Senior county championship in 1967 and 1968.

*Connacht club championship in 1968 and 1969

*County junior hurling with Castlerea in 1968.

*Juvenile county hurling in 1966 and runner-up in 1965 — his late brother Joe was also on that team.

*Minor county hurling runner-up in 1968.

*Connacht minor hurling with Roscommon in 1968 and 1969.

*He played county minor football for Roscommon in 1967, 1968 and 1969, winning a Connacht championship in 1967.

*He also played county U-21 in 1968.

In 1968, Padraic enjoyed a great year, winning four titles — minor, U-21, senior football and junior hurling.

He was also a prolific soccer player, winning titles with Castlerea Celtic.

The family moved to Castlebar for a short time during 1966.

Padraic went to school in St. Gerald’s College, where he put in some great performances — so much so that Mayo wanted him to play minor with them in 1967.

But he declined.

He made contact with me and I got it cleared that he could still play with Castlerea and the Roscommon minors. In 1965, between colleges, championship, juvenile and minor, and challenge games, he scored 11 goals and 31 points. For the short time that they resided in Castlebar, his father used to bring him back to play with Castlerea, and they returned to reside in Castlerea in 1967.

In 1968, Padraic attended Summerhill College, Sligo, to do his Leaving Cert. He played many good games for them, but it was a time when both St. Jarlath’s and St. Nathy’s were going well.

Padraic did win an All-Ireland soccer title with Summerhill in 1969, but, because of the ban at the time, they had to play under assumed names.

The family subsequently relocated to Galway.

Padraic went to UCG and qualified as a teacher.

He taught in Claremorris until he retired in 2008.

I have often been asked who was the best footballer I have ever trained in the Castlerea club in all my years involved.

To find an answer to that question has always been extremely difficult, as I have trained so many top-class footballers. But I have to say that Padraic Shallow and his good friend, Mickey Freyne, were tops.

They both had a great knowledge of how football should be played and they were great team players.

The only difference between the two was that Mickey had a longer span of playing, as when Padraic moved to Galway, he played very little football.

Padraic took up golf and was very good at it, winning many competitions.

Padraic, you were a perfect gentleman, and it was a pleasure to have known you.

You were always great company and thank you for all the times you visited me. I will miss them. You are gone to join your dad, Joe, your mother Bridie, brother Joe, and, until we meet again, Slán.