Westmeath Gaels mourn the late Paddy Flanagan

Paddy Flanagan, one of the all-time iconic Westmeath GAA figures who for many decades served his county with distinction as both a player and administrator, has died.

A long-serving former Westmeath GAA secretary and PRO after whom the county’s senior football championship trophy is named, Paddy passed away yesterday (Tuesday) evening.

The St Loman’s, Mullingar clubman played at full back for Westmeath’s senior footballers for 15 years (1949-64), simultaneously serving both his club and county as secretary.

A native of Reynella, between Delvin and Killucan and a former student of St Mary’s Christian Brothers School, Mullingar, Paddy started his football career with The Downs, but went on to enjoy most of his club success with St Loman’s (formerly Mental Hospital). He was one of the Lakepoint Park club’s life presidents.

Paddy’s combined playing and administrative career spanned in excess of six decades. After serving as Westmeath county board secretary between 1960 and 1969, he went on to hold the post of county PRO for many years, winning several McNamee Awards for his work on match programmes. In his capacity as PRO, he contributed a hugely popular GAA column to the Westmeath Examiner and Westmeath Independent under the nom de plume ‘Aindrias Ó’ for over 50 years.

In later years, he served at provincial level, firstly as Leinster Council treasurer (1993 to 2000), while also doing a stint as chairman of Leinster Council’s Communications Committee. In the latter role, he edited Leinster championship match programmes for 22 years.

Paddy received a GAA President’s Award in 2004 in recognition of his decades of service to the association at club, county and provincial level. Selected at full back in the Westmeath Topic’s Football Team of the Millennium in 2000, his long association with the Westmeath Examiner was also recognised in 2007, when he became the very first Hall of Fame inductee at the inaugural Westmeath Examiner Sports Awards.

Widely regarded as a mine of information on all things Gaelic games, particularly with regard to Westmeath, Paddy’s residence at Millmount is home to an extensive archive and collection of GAA records and memorabilia – a veritable mecca for local and national sports history enthusiasts.

A terrific communicator, a GAA visionary, a passionate Westmeath man and above all, a warm and gentle soul, Paddy Flanagan will be greatly missed by all who knew and worked with him.