Michael Vincent O’Donoghue (18 May 1900 – 29 May 1972), was the 17th
president
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of the
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include t ...
(1952–1955).
Born in
Portumna
Portumna ( - meaning 'the landing place of the oak') is a market town in the south-east of County Galway, Ireland, on the border with and linked by a bridge to County Tipperary. The town is located to the west of the point where the River Shann ...
,
Galway, the younger of twins, O’Donoghue was the son of an
RIC man, and grew up in a variety of places in Ireland. Although a member of the RIC, his father participated in GAA games, usually under assumed names,
and O’Donoghue recalls playing hurling from an early age: at age four, while hurling, his twin brother was almost killed in a weight throwing accident.
As an engineering student in UCC, O’Donoghue joined the Cork 1 Brigade of the
IRA
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as its engineer, and took prominent part in the
War of Independence
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, while his twin brother James joined the RIC.
O’Donoghue worked closely with Michael O’Neill, whose killing led to the
Dunmanway killings; O’Donoghue's witness statement was later used to deny any sectarian motivation in the killings.
He was involved in the administration of the GAA, becoming chairman of the Waterford county committee from 1936 to 1946 and again in 1948. He strongly opposed the decision to hold the
1947 All-Ireland Football final in New York, arguing that it would encourage emigration.
He died in May 1972 and is buried in St Carthage's Cemetery, Lismore, Co Waterford.
[Irish Examiner 1841-current, Tuesday, 30 May 1972; Page: 14]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:ODonoghue, Vincent
1900 births
1972 deaths
Alumni of University College Cork
Presidents of the Gaelic Athletic Association