Michael ‘Hauleen’ McDonagh 1936-2026
Football success with school, club and county
OBITUARY by Jim Carney
IT was often spelt in Irish as Háilín early in his football career, but Michael McDonagh was always more generally known as Hauleen, and never as Mícheáleen.
He was born in 1936 at the family home of Hugh and Nonie McDonagh, Kilcloghans, Tuam. A brother of Joe, Mary and Rose, the young Michael was educated at Tuam CBS and the Technical School. From there he became a fitter, leading to a career, lasting for thirty years, as an instructor with AnCO/FÁS.
In the early 1950s, he was regarded as an exceptionally skilful juvenile footballer and in exciting clashes with Ballinasloe, in particular, the likes of Hauleen, Tommy Brosnan and the Ballinasloe boys Seán Keeley and Seán Meade were well known names before they graduated to county minor teams. All four played for the county technical schools’ team in 1953, and when Galway Techs won the national title a year later Hauleen was the captain; they defeated Offaly in the final at Roscommon.
The spectacular rise of Tuam Stars in the 1950s had its roots in schools’ football, with St Jarlath’s, the CBS and the Tech’ all playing major roles, and so too did the juvenile and senior street leagues in that era, all fiercely competitive as they had bragging rights.
Hauleen McDonagh played for the Galway minor team in 1953 and '54, and with Tuam Stars he won the first of his eight Senior Championship medals in 1954.
He played for the county juniors in '55 and for the seniors early in '56, but illness kept him out of the All-Ireland panel in that year. Back on duty with the Galway junior team in 1958, he won an All-Ireland medal.
In '59, after playing well in the Connacht senior final and in the All-Ireland semi-final win over Down, Hauleen and his team-mates had the bad luck to come up against an unbeatable Kerry team in the final.
Injury kept Hauleen out of the 1960 county final against Ballinasloe, having played at left half-back in the earlier rounds, but he had two more memorable days on the fields of play: the 1962 championship final, and the 1964 league final (played on April 11, 1965). Hauleen was a proud team captain on the day the Stars defeated Dunmore MacHales in the county league final at Tuam Stadium.
And he had another day to remember with pride in September 1986, when his son Maurice played at left half-forward for Galway minor footballers in their All-Ireland final victory over Cork.
Hauleen was a very good golfer and he spent many years playing at Tuam G.C. with enthusiasm, often in the company of his friend John Donnellan; they were teammates when Galway won the 1958 All-Ireland junior championship. Rivals in club games into the early 60s, they had a rock-solid friendship on the golf course.
Rose McDonagh, Hauleen’s sister (wife of Michael Callanan, Tullinadaly Hill), also loved sport and as a young woman she played for the revived Tuam camogie club and for Galway.
The death of Michael "Hauleen" McDonagh, Abbeytrinity, Tuam, occurred on April 21, peacefully in the wonderful care of Greenpark Nursing Home, Tuam.
He was predeceased by his wife Eileen, son Michael, daughter Maria and brother Joe.
Hauleen is sadly missed by his loving sons Joseph and Maurice, daughters-in-law Siobhán and Fiona, granddaughters Ciara, Orla, Kelly, Amy and Lauren, sisters Mary (Clara) and Rose (Tuam), brother-in-law Bernard, sister-in-law Rena, nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours and many friends.