The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
Paddy passed away on May 29, 2009, having been cared for at St Joseph’s Hospital. Born into ‘the Boreen’ in 1941, later to become Marian Avenue, Paddy became consumed with soccer and made a life-long contribution to the sport in Ennis and Clare.
In 1962, aged 21, he made his debut for Lifford FC on the left wing. His hero at that stage was Irish international Joe Haverty. Paddy was a nifty player and scored a goal from 30 yards in the 1963 Fergus Cup final. That display was recognised by The Clare Champion, who selected Paddy as Sports Star of the Week.
He was selected for the Ennis United team that played in the Limerick league and in 1964, he played for Pike Hibernians, an amalgamation of Ennis clubs. Later he became known as ‘Giles’ after RTÉ soccer pundit Johnny Giles, who played for Manchester United and Leeds United in the 1960s and 1970s.
As his playing career wound down, Paddy entered management and his Lifford team won the Clare Area FAI Junior Cup final in 1974 and the Haughey Cup a year later. Paddy was noted for urging his team to ‘lock the shop’ when defending a lead and for urging his wingers to ‘hug the whitewash’.
When Avenue United was founded in 1983, Paddy travelled far and wide with the club for many years. When Avenue reached the 1990 FAI Junior Cup final, Paddy sang on the bus outside Dalymount Park, trying to lift spirits after they had lost to Cherry Orchard.
A Manchester United fanatic and a devotee of Ennis Rugby Club, Paddy was also a Eucharistic Minister. In one notable incident in the Friary, he gave communion to one Avenue player, followed by the words ‘up the Avenue’. It was the morning of a Haughey Cup final.
All proceeds from next week’s charity game will be donated to The Motorbike Fund. Jacko McMahon told The Clare Champion that the cup on offer was first played for 30 years ago.
“The first game we had was for Greenpeace. They thought we were a bunch of hippies but 30 years forward, it’s the coolest thing being green,” Jacko revealed, adding that it was Paddy Coughlan who sourced the cup.
“The most important thing is the cup and Giles, because we had no cup, said, ‘I’ll get ye a cup’. Gilesey got the cup and it worked out that we played three times in one year for it by pure accident. We play for it three times every year, around St Patrick’s Day, mid-summer and at Christmas, usually St Stephen’s Day. In September, it will be the 90th time the cup will be played for between Avenue Santos and the Leeds United Supporters Club,” Jacko revealed.
Avenue Ramblers and Avenue Wanderers were the first teams to compete for it in 1983.
The players and mentors who represented Avenue Ramblers 30 years ago included Paddy Coughlan (RIP), Jacko McMahon, Johnny Purtill, Albert Mousney (RIP), Ray Carey, Christy McMahon, Sid McMahon, Terry Allen, Eamon Moloney (RIP), Tommy Guilfoyle, Francis Millar, Michael Purtill, Denis Ball and Michael McMahon.
Avenue Wanderers were represented by Davy Connellan, Edward Carey, Gerard O’Grady, Anthon McMahon, Martin Purtill, Ollie McMahon, Colm Mousney, Peter McMahon, Billy Foyle, Willie Purtill and Noel Purtill.
“He was a good bit of stuff. He was always up for it. He’d get on the bus and no matter how much you’d be down and out, he’d have the craic,” Jacko said of ‘Giles’.
Away from the sporting arena, Paddy was an excellent dancer and every Christmas, he received a card from showband legend Brendan Bowyer. He also liked to sing and regularly broke into The Candy Store by Dickie Rock, with or without anybody asking him to sing.
