Gaels’ greats turn back clock!

On Friday January 27th last the Roscommon Gaels senior county football champions from 1972 reunited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their success.

There was a great turnout and all who attended had a most enjoyable evening which started in Regan’s with a fantastic meal and onwards to the great GAA haunt that is the ‘Down The Hatch’ pub.

The event, organised by John O’Gara and Michael McNamara, was well attended with many coming long distance to reflect and celebrate with old friends and great Gaels.

Mick McNamara was master of ceremonies with many of the former players present giving a reflection of their memories of the campaign which started with a victory over Clann na nGael and Rooskey in the early rounds, and culminated with a superb win over the kingpins of Roscommon at the time, Castlerea St Kevin’s. Indeed, that Castlerea team was full of Roscommon inter-county stars who had just won the Connacht title in 1972 and lost to Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final.

This was a key breakthrough for the club at the time and indeed kick-started a golden period of success for Roscommon Gaels in the 1970s. Many of this team represented Roscommon during the successful 1977-1980 years.

One sombre moment was remembering those members of the team, management and club delegates that have gone to their eternal reward. The influence of the school football (Brother Dwyer) Street Leagues, (Roscommon Gaels coaches) and Mick Hoare (manager) was spoken about in detail.

The night was a huge success. Congratulations to the Team of ‘72 and thank you so much for the memories.

On April 11th, 2014, Mark McClean lost control of his car on a dangerous stretch of road not too far from his home in Ballinalee, Co. Longford. Mark, who wasn’t wearing his seatbelt at the time, was ejected through the sunroof, his body slamming into a tree, while his car was flipped onto its roof.

The first person on the scene that night was Mark’s own mother, or his “guardian angel”, as he calls her. She was making her way home from a game of bingo.

“I must have a pretty hard head,” the 33-year-old told Roscommon People this week, “thank God for bingo!”

Following the accident, Mark was taken to Mullingar Hospital before being transferred to the Mater Hospital, where he spent a month in a coma. When he came to, he was faced with the news that he was paralysed from the chest down and would now be confined to a wheelchair.

The qualified cabinet maker and father of two daughters, Jasmine (14) and Esmé (9), says it was a difficult transition at first.

“It was only after that my family told me the priest gave me the Last Rites in Mullingar. My sister went mad, telling them all I was still alive,” he said.

“I had survived but I was in the Mater for two months before moving to the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) – that was one of the best times of my life, believe it or not!

“There were two other guys around the same age as me there and we had great craic. It’s so important to have good people around you especially for your mental health”.

While rehabilitation has been tough, Mark says he was also