John O’Mahony, a prominent figure in contemporary football and previous manager of the All-Ireland winning team, has passed away at the age of 71. Apart from his significant influence in football, O’Mahony also made his mark politically as a Fine Gael TD and Senator.
Residing in Ballaghaderreen after originating from Kilmovee in Mayo, O’Mahony contributed to his local community as a schoolteacher at St Nathy’s and took an active part in the town’s GAA club. O’Mahony’s football journey led him to secure a minor All-Ireland medal in 1971, with his initial management breakthrough occurring in 1983, leading Mayo to an under-21 All-Ireland victory, twelve years later.
O’Mahony’s senior managerial record is characterised by historic successes: navigating Mayo to their first senior All-Ireland final in 38 years in 1989; guiding Leitrim to their inaugural Connacht championship win in 67 years in 1994; and helping Galway claim their first Sam Maguire since 1966 and a subsequent one in 1998 and 2001.
Remembered as a warm and low-key individual, O’Mahony infused empathy and intellect into his approach to team-building and preparation. For example, he was one of the first to integrate sports psychology and performance coaching into his team management strategies.
In 2007, O’Mahony resumed his position as Mayo manager for a second stint and won the Connacht championship in 2009. Simultaneously, he made strides in politics, elected as a Mayo TD in 2007 and subsequently re-elected in 2011. O’Mahony served in the Irish Senate during the 2016-2020 term.
Despite his recent cancer diagnosis, O’Mahony had recovered. However, following a few weeks in hospital due to an infection, his health seemed to improve before sadly passing away on Saturday, surrounded by his family.
Just a week ago, O’Mahony addressed the death of his close friend Tommie Gorman, who had worked closely with him in producing motivational and analytical video content for his teams, on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland. They had hoped to jointly invite former Dublin manager Jim Gavin to an arts festival due in August.
Lastly, in a moving tribute, Tommie’s son Joe admired how his late father appreciated O’Mahony’s innovative methods including his appointment of a sports psychologist during his Leitrim management tenure in the early 90s, followed by video analyst Tommie, as it demonstrated John’s refusal to settle for mediocrity. As Joe summed up, “John believed”.
His wife, Geraldine Towey, along with their five daughters: Gráinne, Niamh, Rhona, Deirdre and Clíodhna, are the surviving family members he leaves behind.