Tributes pour in for Longford stalwart Mickey Begley

The 83-year-old passed away last Tuesday at Mullingar's Midland Regional Hospital sparking a wave of heartwarming testimonies from across the county.

One of those included a lengthy chronology of the father of four's achievements throughout his sporting and professional career in his native parish's club notes.

“The Club was saddened to hear of the passing of Mickey Begley last week after a short illness,” read a tribute .

“Mickey played with the club during the successful era in the late 50s and early 60s and he was a member of the Leader Cup winning team of 1961.

“When he returned to the parish to take over the family shop and bar in the late 90s he threw his shoulder to the wheel of club activity, generously sponsoring the various teams and events run by the club.

In 2016, Mickey was honoured when awarded with the club's Hall of Fame award in recognition to his stellar contribution to club and rural life in Killoe.

Local councillor and long term friend Gerry Hagan saidthere was no end to Micky's talents both as a man and as an adept tradesman.

“Mickey was a very hardworking man and he worked in the mines all his life,” he said, namedropping the likes of Keade, Moydow and Tara in Navan as being among his former stomping grounds.

Cllr Hagan also told of how his close friend even made shutters and laid practically every brick that makes up Begley's Pub in Killoe to this day.

“He was a great character and as a first cousin of the late Victor Kiernan's, it's hard to imagine how they have both passed on within four months of each other,” he added.

The late Mickey Begley was laid to rest in Aughaboy Cemetery following funeral mass last Thursday.

He is survived by his loving wife Mary, son Tom, daughters Ann, Teresa, Cathy and Niamh. Daughters-in-law Katherine and Junie, sons-in-law Paddy and Paul, grandchildren Megan, Daniel, Grace, Giselle and Finn, sisters Rose Fallon, Tessie Browne, Nan Ireland and extended family.