Tom Mannion remembered in the town he loved so well

MANY tributes were paid this week to the late Tom Mannion of Highfield Park, Ennis. Aged 82 years, the well-known travel agent, community activist and sportsman died last Saturday.

A native of Birdhill, County Tipperary, Tom’s long association with Clare started after school when he took up a position with the former Sales and Catering section in Shannon Airport. He was not long there when he was offered a position in the accounts department of the Old Ground Hotel, the start of a 62-year long business career in Ennis.
At one stage he was a member of no less than 15 organisations, all working for the betterment of the town. His close friend, Canon Brendan O’Donoghue, noted when celebating his funeral mass in Ennis Cathedral on Monday afternoon that Tom’s fingerprints could be found on so many developments over the years.
Canon O’Donoghue told the huge congregation that if asked to pick a signature tune in memory of Tom Mannion, who worked and lived in the Ennis community for so many years, it would have to be The Town I Loved So Well.
Soon after joining staff at The Old Ground, Tom became involved with the Ennis Theatre Guild and later was a member of the committee which organised the famous All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in I956. He became a member of the local conference of St Vincent de Paul in 1952 and devoted a lot of time in helping the less well-off in the community.
One year later, he was a founder member of An Tostal, organising events at local level to attract visitors, which was the forerunner of Bord Fáilte. The Ennis Tidy Towns group was also to benefit from his involvement and he became committee chairman in the 1960s.
As a founder member of the Clare Tourist Council in 1961 and subsequently its chairman, he played his part in helping to promote tourism in the county and later at regional level when a member of the Shannonside Tourism Board and the innovative Rent an Irish Cottage scheme. In 1969 he became president of the SKAl Club of Shannon, catering for those involved in travel and tourism.
The promotion of the commercial side of Ennis also took up a lot of his time as a member of Ennis Chamber of Commerce for many years, including a term as president in 1973.
His participation with the Lions Club in raising funds for many worthy causes was another highlight in his magnificient contribution to voluntary organisations. He was a founder member of Ennis Lions in 1978 and its president in 1982, In recognition of his efforts, he received the prestigious Lions International Melvin Jones Fellowship award.
The ongoing development of Shannon Airport and the retention of services at Ennis hospital were among his priorites as a member of the Shannon Action Group and Ennis Hospital Action Committee.
He was also very committed to the Ennis-Phoenix Twinning since the 1980s and was its chairman in 1998. He travelled to Phoenix on a number of occasions. He was honoured in 2006 when becoming the first Ennis recipient of a Vodafone Business Passion For The World Around Us award.
Tom will also be rememberd as a great sportsman. Passionate about golf, he was one of the leading lights of Ennis Golf Club, winning many competitions. He was also a familar figure on the links in Lahinch and played in courses all over Ireland. His boast was that in his travels, he played golf on five continents.
He was a great GAA personality, followed the Tipperary and Clare hurlers all over the country and had an outstanding record of attending 119 All-Ireland finals in both hurling and football.
In his early days in Ennis, he also supported the Ennis Lawn Tennis Club, playing a pivotal role in its revival and became a trustee of the club.
Reposing at the residence of one of his sons, Gearóid in Spancilhill on Sunday, a huge crowd came to pay their respects. His remains were met at Ennis Catherdal on Monday with a guards of honour from staff of The Old Ground including Allen Flynn and Mary Gleeson and members of Ennis Golf Club, Lions Club and travel agents.
Retired Bishop Willie Walsh was among the big number of concelebrants.
Chief celebrant Canon O’Donoghue remarked that an awful lot happened in the close triangle of the Old Ground Hotel, Tom Mannion Travel and Ennis Cathedral, which was central to so many happy occasions for Tom, Breda and the family.
The great Clare visionary, the late Dr Brendan O’Regan, recognised Tom’s initative in Shannon and at the age of 21 years, he found himself in the accounts section of the Old Ground Hotel, Ennis. Later on, Tom saw a need for transport for hotel visitors and so began his first business venture, a car hire facility, while still working full-time in The Old Ground. In 1964 he crossed the road on O’Connell Sreet to open Tom Mannion Travel and it continues to flourish 47 years later.
Also during his years in The Old Ground he caught the eye of a young member of the house-keeping staff, Breda Fahy. They got married in 1954 and lived a happy family life until a huge cross visited the family when their son Tomás died in an accident just three years ago.
Canon O’Donoghue noted that many people shared holidays and pilgrimages with Tom in different parts of the world and they would remember especially how he came to life at the end of each day, extending one day into the next with a sing-song and an exhibition of dancing.
He added that Tom’s commitment to the town and its people was highlighted for him 14 years ago when illness first struck. It was not a serious one, but the doctor began to ask about Tom’s workload and it transpired that in addition to his work in the office and family, Tom was a member of 15 different committees, all concerned with the betterment of the town.
The only surgery on that occasion was to the long list of committees but Tom insisted on holding on to his membership of the Ennis Hospital Action Committee and the fundraising efforts of the Lions Club for coronary equipment in the hospital.
He went on refer to Tom’s sporting interests which he described as legendary for everybody who knew him and were not limited to the size or shape of the ball. He also noted that Tom was a church door collector in the catherdral and a life-long member of the Pioneers Total Abstinence Association.
In bidding a final farewell to a friend of 45 years, Canon O’Donoghue thanked Tom for the headlines he set for them in goodness, dedication and generosity. “He enriched the lives of all he touched, especially his loving family and the Ennis comnunity in the town he loved so well.”
The funeral took place afterwards to Drumcliffe Cemetry.
At a meeting of Ennis Town Council  Councillor Mary Howard said she had known the late Tom since childhood and described him as a huge friend of Ennis.
Mayor of Ennis, Councillor Michael Guilfoyle, said his death came as a great shock. .
Tom Mannion is survived by his wife, Breda; sons, Leo and Gearóid; daughters, Ann-Marie (McBrearity), Regina (Basra) and Mairead (McCarthy), grandchildren, sons-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, nieces and nephews. He is pre-deceased by his son, Tomás.