Fallon's Town Talk: John O’Mahony: one of the most consequential Connacht people of the last 50 years

A friend sent a text last week telling me John O’Mahony had been in hospital for the previous seven weeks. It was a shock but there was still hope that he could recover. Cruelly, the tragic news broke last Sunday morning that John had died at the age of just 71.

One of the first thoughts that sprung to mind was how soon he had passed away following the death of his close friend, Tommie Gorman, the renowned RTÉ broadcaster. The day after Tommie’s death, John spoke on ‘Morning Ireland’. At times John’s voice was unrecognisable from the assured, calm, measured tones that had become so familiar over the previous three and a half decades.

I was stunned by how he sounded and presumed his emotional tone was caused by grief, but following my friend’s text it was obvious John had been gravely unwell. In retrospect, it’s a testament to O’Mahony’s courage, dignity and loyalty to his friend that he agreed to do the interview.

When you met John O’Mahony, you knew instinctively you were in the presence of greatness. He never projected it or sought attention, but he had that indefinable aura. This remained long after he had stepped away from football management. In the last decade, it was fascinating to meet him and hear him give opinions that he knew wouldn’t appear in print or on social media.

Politics seemed an unlikely route for a person who was routinely self-effacing. Inevitably, he was successful at the political game too, serving in the Dáil and the Seanad with distinction. From afar, I admired how O’Mahony resolutely stuck to his principles, remaining steadfast to his Christian Democratic, conservative beliefs in a Fine Gael party that had become increasingly liberal.

As a manager, every word was carefully calibrated, he never left a hostage to fortune in an interview, but, in my experience, he never refused to do an interview either. He was always so many steps ahead of any question from a journalist, effortlessly spotting any potential traps. Every nuance was important and telling.

Yet, for all his genius, the nagging feeling persists that O’Mahony was slightly underestimated nationally. It was precisely because of his reticent nature, his brilliance at diverting the spotlight (and the pressure) on opposing teams and managers that he didn’t get the attention he deserved.

Michael Foley of ‘The Sunday Times’ spelt it out in a tweet last Sunday in which he described O’Mahony as the most influential Gaelic football manager of the past 40 years.

Last year Foley produced an absorbing podcast series called ‘The Summer of ‘98’ to mark the 25th anniversary of that tumultuous GAA summer. The podcast covers a broad canvass of hurling and football drama, Also, and importantly, it was a timely reminder of just what an epochal figure John was at the peak of his powers.

Foley’s assessment of O’Mahony’s place in the GAA pantheon is correct. However, he was rarely accorded that lofty status while other, more high-profile managers have been credited with supposedly break-out innovations that O’Mahony was pioneering in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Ballaghaderreen man was reluctant to let the wider world know how far ahead of the curve he was. His thinking was refreshingly ‘outside the box’.

In the end, John’s remarkable record speaks more eloquently than any words. He won two All-Ireland senior titles with Galway, the only coach to bring Sam Maguire across the Shannon in the last 58 years.

Many will argue that guiding Leitrim to their unforgettable Connacht final triumph in Hyde Park in 1994 was at least on a par to the heights he scaled with Galway.

In 1997 he guided St. Brigid's to their first Roscommon title in 28 years. Just two years ago, he came within seconds of winning the Galway county championship with Salthill/Knocknacarra.

One of his proudest achievements was leading St. Nathy’s to the All-Ireland B colleges title in 2000. I rang him to get details of the presentation function when the players got their All-Ireland medals. The special guest was a celebrated past-pupil: Dermot Earley. John spent most of our phone call eulogising Dermot and the impact he made on the players. It was typical of O’Mahony, but, then, greatness recognises greatness.

John O’Mahony was the High King of Connacht football; he was one of the most consequential figures Connacht, not just Connacht sport, has produced in the last 50 years. Most importantly, he was also a good and decent man. May he rest in peace.