Blues lose another stalwart Mick Curran - Appreciation

BLESSINGTON lost another of its stalwarts with the death Tuesday last week of Mick Curran our groundsman at Blessington GAA grounds for the last 10 years.

Mick Curran was a very close friend of the late Jack Boothman and remarkable that Mick should pass away within 4 weeks of Jack having passed away on 10 May 2016.

Mick had said “where am I now going to go for that daily chat” on the passing of Jack and of course Mick had also been greatly upset by the passing three months ago of another of his great pals, Peter Keogh President Wicklow GAA 28 February 2016.

As Groundsman at the pitch Mick was also a member of Committee and there Mick always had his say.

Mick decided in bad weather on whether pitches would be playable, his decisions would bring him invariably into conflict with those of a different view, but he never flinched and if I overruled him the keys were mine.

He treated the Club grounds like his own garden, he was immensely proud of the facility and managed to keep the place in immaculate condition.

Mick’s efforts were recognised in the Club of course with his award of Clubman of the Year of which he was very proud and even more proud when he received Wicklow Club person of the Year and we had a wonderful evening in the Arklow Bay Hotel and he was 10 foot tall. It was a wonderful evening, his family were there and of course he knew everybody at the event.

Mick travelled the length and breadth of Wicklow following Blessington teams at all levels and of course the fact that his grandson Patrick plays today brought further joy to Mick.

Daughter Lilly was Club Treasurer for many years and son Michael played for the Club from juvenile days.

Mick followed Wicklow around the country too and in latter times rather than drive himself family members were roped in to places they hadn’t seen before but it was all worth it.

Locally he always had Mick Mills or Noreen Keegan Kavanagh or Anne Marie and Dessie there was always someone that he went with to enjoy the day.

Although no longer our active Groundsman Mick was in the pitch just as regularly and we will miss him also at our fortnightly lotto where he always wandered down to the checking of the tickets and then adjourned for a glass or two of Guinness.

He would have been over the moon with the guard of honour from the young boys and girls and he would have been delighted at being carried shoulder high up main street, he deserved every bit of it.

Yes, we are going to miss him. He will be missed by the GAA fraternity in Blessington and in Wicklow, by all his friends in Donard Glen, by his Fianna Fáil friends, his former workmates but most of all his family,brother Paddy and sister in law Eittie, daughters Bridget, Jenny and Lilly and son Michael and the grandchildren he adored Megan, Alan, Patrick and Amy and of course the love of his life, May.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.