Late Offaly football star had close links with Athlone
Former Offaly football star Harry (Har) Donnelly – who passed away last Thursday – is being mourned in Athlone and Westmeath, as well as in his native county.
Donnelly was a key player on the Offaly teams which won the Leinster titles of 1960 and 1961, also contesting the famed 1961 All-Ireland final against Down.
Harry (better known as Har) was born in Kilcormac but spent much of his youth in Athlone, before moving to Dublin to work in the Air Corps.
He went to secondary school in the Marist College, also spending a year in what is now Athlone Community College. Har played football for Athlone GAA club and Westmeath at juvenile level. Indeed, he won an All-Ireland vocational schools medal with Westmeath.
Har played in the Dublin championship for the Air Corps, with his performances coming to the notice of officials from his native Offaly.
Donnelly went on to play a starring role in the first Offaly team to win a Leinster senior football title in 1960, when they beat Louth in the final.
Offaly overcame Dublin to retain their Leinster crown in 1961 and a win over Roscommon set up an All-Ireland final meeting with Down.
Having defeated Offaly in the 1960 All-Ireland semi-final (after a replay), the Mourne men also claimed a narrow win in that storied '61 final. This final attracted a recorded attendance of 90,556, believed to be the largest ever at a sporting event in Ireland.
A renowned freetaker, Donnelly's scoring ability was vital to Offaly's breakthrough in the early 1960s.
Although he lived in Arklow, Co. Wicklow for many years, Har never forgot his roots in Offaly and his connections with Athlone and Westmeath.
Some years ago, Har called into the Westmeath Independent offices in Athlone alongside Joe Browne with a couple of interesting old sporting photographs.
One of the photos featured Har as part of a team which took part in a Gaelic football street leagues competition. Also included in the photo was Jimmy Power (father of Samantha Power, now part of the administration of new US President Joe Biden), Enda O'Rourke (late husband of former Government Minister Mary O'Rourke) and Padraig Dully (father of Padraig 'Dutchy' Dully).
Har Donnelly of Abbeyville, Arklow passed away peacefully last Thursday, February 4. Beloved husband of Sheila, he was the adored father of Ronald, Colm and Karen and much loved brother of Rita, Ann, Brendan and the late Syl.
In accordance with government guidelines, Har’s Requiem Mass was celebrated in private last Saturday, with burial afterwards in St Gabriel’s Cemetery, Arklow. May he rest in peace.