Donegal's first ever Ulster winning full-forward Mickey Sweeney passes away
Tributes have been paid to the late Mickey Sweeney, a former Garda originally from Creeslough and then Letterkenny, who played for St Eunan's and helped Donegal to the maiden provincial championship success in 1972
The news of the sudden death of one of the county’s history making footballers Mickey Sweeney on Friday morning was greeted with a great sense of shock and sadness.
The late Mickey Sweeney was full-forward on Donegal's first ever Ulster Senior Football Championship winning team of 1972 and played in that year's All-Ireland semi-final before injury curtailed him to just one more championship appearance in 1976.
Donegal defeated Tyrone 2-13 to 1-11 in the Ulster final in Clones. He had been in good health and passed away at his home in Hawthorn Heights on Thursday night.
Leading tributes to his former teammate Brian McEniff, the Donegal manager in 1972, said; “I had Mickey on the county minor team the year before in 1971. And after watching him playing for St Eunan’s against St Joseph's in the first round of the club championship in 1972 I drafted him him into the senior squad.
“He was after joining the guards and was just out of Templemore (Garda Training College) and was very fit, lightning fast and very direct.”
Mickey scored two goals in that club game even though he was being marked by Pauric McShea, who was one of the best fullbacks in Ulster at the time.
“He scored one of the two goals we hit in that game after we came back to earn a draw and in the replay as we beat them well
“And he was at full forward again for the All-Ireland semi-final against Offaly. Sadly he suffered a serious knee injury. Unlike nowadays, back 50 years ago, an injury if serious enough was career-ending. The injury more or less ended Mickey’s inter-county days.”
John Haran, the current St Eunan’s chairman, added to the tributes.
“I never saw Mickey playing but from what I hear from other people and the clips I have seen of him on television playing for Donegal he was a very skillful player,” Haran said. “He won a couple of championships with the club too and it was unfortunate injury cut his career short.
“I knew him well when I was a young lad growing up in Hawthorn Heights. He was a neighbour of ours and he was a very modest man and never spoke much or boasted about his playing days.”
Mickey was born in Creeslough and lived there for the first 10 years of his life before the family moved to Letterkenny, first to the Railway Bar - now Sister Sara’s - on the Port Road, before relocating to Convent Road.
He served as a garda in Julianstown, Co Meath, Manorhamilton and Killtyclogher, Co Leitrim and then in Glenties, Dochary and Dungloe.
He is survived by his son Shane and his wife Grace (Luxembourg), granddaughter Amber, sisters Margaret Judge and her husband Damien (Hawthorn Heights), Breda O’Malley and her husband Eddie (Loughnagin), Maeve Mangan and her husband Malachy (Co. Offaly), Philomena Gallen and her husband Des (Co. Wicklow) and Emer Dunne and her husband Sean (Fernhill), brothers Tom (Glencar) and Frank and his wife Susan (Donegal Town), sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews and a wide circle of family, friends and neighbours.
Removal from The Eternal Light Chapel of Rest, Mountain Top, Letterkenny on Saturday, 25th February, at 5pm going to his late residence, 56 Hawthorn Heights, Letterkenny, F92 PR2H. Funeral from there on Monday, 27th February, at 10.30am going to St. Eunan’s Cathedral, Letterkenny for 11am Requiem Mass which can be viewed on Church Services Letterkenny. Interment afterwards to Leck Cemetery. Family flowers only please. Family time from 10pm on Saturday to 2pm on Sunday and on the morning of the funeral please. Rosary both evenings at 9pm.
Mickey is ninth member of the 29 man Donegal panel for the 1972 final to pass on. Those that have gone before him are Alan Kane, Donal Monaghan, Seamus Bonner, Mickey McMenamin, Joe Winston, John Hannigan, Ray Sheerin and Donal Britton.
Ar deis Dé ar a anam