Hauleen McDonagh RIP

Death of Tuam Stars and Galway footballer

by Jim Carney

Galway GAA are mourning the death of Michael (“Hauleen”) McDonagh of the Tuam Stars 7 in a row team of 1954-to-1960, and of Galway minor, junior and senior teams of the same decade.

Known all his sporting life as Hauleen (from the Irish Mícheáleen), he was born in 1936. Educated at Tuam CBS and the Technical School, he went on to become a fitter, leading to a career lasting for 30 years as an instructor with AnCO / FÁS.

In the early 1950s, he was regarded as a very skilful juvenile footballer and in exciting clashes with Ballinasloe, in particular, they graduated to county minor teams. They also shared in Galway’s All-Ireland Technical schools’ victory over Offaly in 1954, with Hauleen captain of the team.

Hauleen McDonagh played for the Galway minor teams of 1953 and ’54, and with Tuam Stars he won the first of his eight senior championship medals in 1954. He played for the county juniors in 1955 and for the seniors early in ’56, but illness kept him out of the All-Ireland panel in that year. With the Galway junior team in 1958, he won an All-Ireland medal. In ’59, he played in the All-Ireland senior final, won by Kerry.

Injury kept Hauleen out of the 1960 county final against Ballinasloe, but he had two more memorable days: the 1962 championship

final, and the 1964 league final (played on April 11, 1965). Hauleen was a proud team captain on the day the Stars defeated Dunmore MacHales in the county league final at Tuam Stadium.

And he had another day to remember with pride in September 1986 when his son Maurice played at left half-forward for Galway minor footballers in their All-Ireland final victory over Cork.

Suaimhneas síoraí dá anam dílis.