Lurgan legend Mickey McDonald was a sporting hero, playing soccer for Glenavon and Cliftonville plus Gaelic football for St Paul's and Armagh

An emotional Canon Liam Stevenson, his former teacher at St Colman’s College in Newry and his friend, recounted his many achievements in sporting life at Mickey’s funeral at St Paul’s Church on Sunday.

At Requiem Mass, a number of Mickey’s sporting colleagues carried items reflecting his sporting career to the altar.

Ray Morgan, the St. Colman’s College coach, brought a picture of the 1975 winning Hogan Cup team in which Mickey scored the winning point in the final at Croke Park.

Martin Seeley, a lifelong friend, brought up Mickey’s Glenavon jersey, where he once scored five goals for Glenavon in a match to snatch victory over Linfield in Windsor Park in a 6 - 4 cup victory.

Philip Mallon brought up a picture of the St. Paul’s GFC winning Championship’s side of 1984. Canon Stevenson said: “Mickey played a large part in that victory."

Jim McKerr, a member of the Armagh Championship winning side of 1982 when they beat Donegal in Clones, brought the Armagh jersey Mickey wore that year.

George Sewell, like Mickey a former captain of Silverwood Golf Club, carried Michael’s golf putter to the altar.

Canon Stevenson said: “We were delighted to receive into our church here this beautiful floral display from his nephew Rory McIlroy, Erica and Poppy which we will keep here in the church for many Sundays to come.”

Canon Stevenson said no one would have expected to be in St Paul’s for Michael’s funeral as there were no ‘obvious health issues’. "He was leading a full active life. We all, including his family, would have expected Michael to live for many, many more years but that wasn’t to be. He went off to Turkey to play golf with his three friends and one evening during that holiday on 10th October, they played golf, had their dinner and following dinner Michael collapsed due to a triple aneurism in his brain.

"He underwent emergency surgery and on the 2nd November he returned home here to the Intensive Care Unit at Craigavon Hospital. After some days he was released to the wards to Two South but progress didn’t materialise. He died on Thursday evening past (November 17) with his family present.”

Micheal was born in 1959 to parents Danny and Bridie McDonald in Arthur Street, just off Edward Street in Lurgan. He had five siblings and the family moved later to Drumlin Drive in Taghnevan. He attended St Peter's Primary School in Lurgan and then St Colman’s College in Newry after achieving the 11Plus in 1970. He trained as a teacher in St Joseph’s Training College and for some years was a substitute teacher in Lismore Comprehensive in Craigavon and St Paul’s Secondary in Lurgan. In 1984 he obtained a permanent position as a PE lecturer in Armagh College of Further Education (now the Southern Regional College). In 2007 he gained promotion to Head of Sports Science and in 2014 he became Head of School for Applied Science in the Southern Regional College. He retired just three years ago in 2019.

Canon Stevenson said: “I am sure like anybody retiring on his 60th birthday would have been looking forward to 20 or 25 more years of life.

"Michael has been a renowned sportsman in his early life as a Gaelic and soccer player. He shot to fame as a very talented 16-year-old in the very successful Hogan and MacRory Gaelic teams in St Colman’s College back in March and May 1975. Forgive me for being emotional but those were heady days for me as a young teacher to experience that single honour of the College winning the MacRory and Hogan Cups.

"He has the distinction of scoring the winning point in Croke Park against Carmelite College, Moate, in the Hogan final of 1975. He continued this remarkable feat of scoring a winning point in the Ulster final of 1982 when Armagh beat Donegal in Clones.

"In between these seminal moments in his career he starred on the soccer field. He once scored five goals in a Glenavon Linfield match which Glenavon won 6-4. He also played for Cliftonville. He impressed Arsenal scouts when playing for Northern Ireland Youth against the Republic of Ireland Youth in Dublin. David O’Leary was marking him.

"While sitting his A level exams he played for NI Youth in the Under 18 Championships against Russia. Unfortunately after 5 minutes he was carried off with a serious knee injury. His loss to soccer was to be of Gaelic’s benefit.

"There wouldn’t have been this huge involvement, the first among equals, of St Paul’s victory in the Junior Armagh Championship in 1975 and his later huge contribution to St Paul’s failed attempt by four points to win the Armagh Senior Championship against Armagh Harps in 1989. In 1975 he was only 16 and St Paul’s was a fledgling club at that time.

"He managed Gaelic teams for the following clubs: Carrickmore, Tullylish and Tir na Nog in Portadown. He continued his love for Gaelic by watching his granddaughters playing football in the St Paul’s fields.”

Canon Stevenson recalls teaching Michael O level physics in 1974. “I have to admit, his heart wasn’t really into learning the laws of physics. He would have been far more interested in how to curl a ball into the roof of the net but that wasn’t on the physics curriculum. I worked for 18 years then as Parish Priest in Banbridge and his late Uncle Jim’s wife Francis was my house keeper. He obviously knew her and me and when on business at the SRC in Banbridge would visit us. It was great to keep in touch with him.”

Canon Stevenson recalled when he was still principal of St Colman’s College in Newry in 2000 and celebrating the Silver Jubilee of the 1975 Hogan win in the Canal Court in Newry, Michael got a lift home with him and invited him into his study at half two in the morning. He showed him a newspaper cutting on the wall. “It was a photo of his nephew Rory who had won the Under 10 World Championships in America. Michael said, that fella will have a great future. I was a bit sceptical. How wrong was I and how right was Michael.”

He said: “There are many heavy hearts here today, including my own. There are many heavy hearts because you hate losing someone who meant so much on the sports field and on the golf courses to so many many people and who died unfortunately so young.”

Tullylish GAA Club where Michael had been a manager paid tribute to him. A statement said: “Mickey along with Seamus Ferron, managed the seniors in the late 90’s early 00’s, successfully earning promotion into the second division.

"Current club President and then Chairperson, Kevin Murphy, appointment Mickey stating that he was a perfect fit for the club.

"Mickey kept in touch with many of the current club members and often played in the Tullylish golf society outings.

"Mickey will be sorely missed and the club would like to extend our condolences to the McDonald family and the greater family circle.”

Glenavon FC said: “It is with deep sadness that Glenavon Football Club has learned of the death of our former player, Mickey McDonald.

"A prolific centre forward who played for the club in the late 1970s and the 1980s, he scored many important goals for the club. Famously he scored five against Linfield at Windsor Park in the Ulster Cup!

"He is remembered with great fondness by all at the club and our sympathies go to his family at this sad time.”

Cliftonville Football Club said: “A striker who scored 39 goals in 158 appearances for the Reds, Mickey made his debut in an Irish League encounter with Ballymena United in January 1983 before signing off in a home game against Glentoran in April 1990.

"Formerly with Glenavon and a keen GAA star who represented St Paul’s and County Armagh, Mickey was also captain of Silverwood Golf Club but never quite reached the heights of his nephew Rory McIlroy in that particular sphere.

Michael (Mickey) (Craigavon) died on 17 November 2022 peacefully at Craigavon Area Hospital. He was the dearly beloved husband of the late Marjorie 112 Lakelands Craigavon R.I.P, and much loved father of Michelle, Sean and Ciara, beloved partner of Alison, and father-in-law to Charlene and Philip. beloved son of the late Danny and Bridie, brother to Rosaleen, Fiona, Greg, Leeann and the late Annette, Grandad to Cliodhna, Aoife, Carson, Oonagh, Carter, Shona, Brogan, Cillian and CJ.