On Wednesday 29th May 2024, the people of Skryne were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Mickey Lynch. Mickey was a tall gentle giant who made a tremendous contribution to Skryne GFC and Meath GAA throughout his life and it was only fitting that the funeral cortege paid one last visit to the hallowed turf of Fr. McManus Park, a place where Mickey excelled both on the pitch and off. The flag flew at half mast at the gates of the pitch as Mickey made his way to St. Colmcille’s Church where he was greeted by hundreds of mourners who turned out to say their final goodbye.
Indeed his immense contribution to GAA life in Skryne warranted acknowledgement in Skryne GFC’s fantastic history books ‘The Blue Kings of Tara’ by a fellow legend David Carty who played alongside Mickey for much of his footballing career. Below is the piece from David’s book which gives a detailed account of his GAA pathway.
Mickey Lynch
The history of Skryne football club would not be complete without a detailed acknowledgement of the contribution from Mickey Lynch of Greenpark. The name Lynch embraces a couple of families in Skryne Parish and both played a part in Skryne’s colourful history.
Mickey Lynch has given an enormous amount of time and energy for the cause of Skryne Gaelic Football Club. His career on the football field spanned an unbelievable four decades, while he was also one of the longest serving chairmen with a reign of eight years.
Mickey first made his name on the football field, when he came from the Rathfeigh end of the parish to break into an almost all Skryne juvenile team in 1955. He gave many outstanding displays during that year in helping Skryne retain the juvenile crown. This was an eye opener for players and mentors alike.
He made the left half-back position his own and was an automatic choice on the team that won the under-16 title in 1956 for the first time. For the next three years, Mickey figured on under-16 and minor teams without collecting any trophies. A narrow defeat to Kells in the minor semi-final of 1958 laid the foundations for an exciting career in senior football.
Mickey was handed the goalkeeper’s jersey when he made his debut on the Skryne senior team and held that position for a couple of years. He also did a stint in the forward position before finding his regular niche in midfield.
The high-catching Greenpark star played most of his football at midfield with the odd foray on the forty or full-forward. Skryne played second fiddle to Navan O’Mahonys and Trim before success came their way in the Feis Cup and senior championship in 1965.
Mickey turned in outstanding performances in both finals giving Skryne a pull in the midfield area against such opponents as Greg Hughes, Jack Quinn and Phil Fay. He was joined on the team for those finals by his brothers, Jimmy and Paddy, both of whom were accomplished footballers. Another brother, John, also wore the blue jersey in championship football.
His displays for Skryne in 1965 soon won Mickey a place on the Meath team. His brother Jimmy joined him on the team in the O’Byrne Cup match against Louth. On that day the Meath panel included seven Skryne players. He held his place on the panel during 1966 collecting a Leinster medal in Meath’s win over Kildare. He was denied an All-Ireland medal when Galway defeated Meath in the final.
Meath Leinster SFC winners 1966. Front l-r: Sean McCormack, Tom Brown, Pat Collier, Pat Reynolds, Davy Carty, Noel Curran, Ollie Shanley, Paddy Mulvany, Bertie Cunningham, Paddy Cromwell, Mick O’Brien. Back l-r: Mick Lynch, Murty Sullivan, Jack Quinn, Peter Moore, Jack Fagan, Vincent Foley, Jim Fagan, Gerry Quinn, Dinny Donnelly, Peter Darby
There were two more championship final appearances for Mickey in 1969 and 1971, but a star-studded Kilbride team thwarted Skryne on both occasions. The whole-hearted Skryne man gave magnificent service to the senior team up to and including the senior championship in 1975 without any worthwhile success.
In 1976, along with two other veterans, Paddy Cromwell and Davy Carty, he lined out on the junior team that won the Division 2 championship. Playing junior football in 1977, Skryne contested the final against Ballinabrackey, the Skryne veteran lined out on the forty yards, but there was no joy for the Blues against the stronger Offaly border team, and they lost by 3-04 to 1-07.
In 1978, it was no mean achievement for the Skryne seconds to play intermediate football and what a fist they made of it, by losing narrowly in the semi-final to Kilmainhamwood. The long-serving full-forward-cum-midfielder played a starring role. He continued to ply his trade in 1979 and 1980 in the intermediate grade, but with little success.
The Skryne ascendancy faltered in 1981 and they were back to the junior grade where Mickey continued to line out. In 1983, he and his son Ivan created a special piece of history when they lined out together in the Division 2 championship and drew with Dunshaughlin. They both got on the scorers’ list before Mickey retired with a knee injury. Two of Mickey’s sons, Ivan and Colin, were outstanding footballers with Skryne and both turned out in senior championship finals. The towering Colin turned out to be the lucky one winning championship medals in 1992 and 1993.
I am sure the young Lynchs were a chip off the old block, their grandfather Jack played for the old Killana Shamrocks team and won a junior football championship with Curraha in 1914.
Mickey was almost as influential on the administrative side as he was on the playing fields, having held the position of chairman for eight years from 1969 to 1976. He was at the helm during Skryne’s golden era in underage football in the early seventies and continued to do trojan work for the young boys throughout the eighties.
Mickey was a selector for the Meath minor team when they reached the All-Ireland final in 1977. He also acted as vice-chairman of the juvenile board.
He continued to play senior football during the sixties and seventies and guide the club from the top. The contribution of the Lynch family to the Skryne club is immense and stands with any of the great families that went before. Thei never-ending support helped propel the rural club to the top of the football ladder in the Royal County.
Mickey’s grandsons Karl Grimes, winner of a Leinster U21 championship medal for Dublin and Michael Lynch who is part of the current Kerry minor team are carrying on the tradition of great footballers from the Lynch clan.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Mickey’s wife Margaret, his daughters Sharon, Alison and Yvette, his sons Ivan, Colin and Ronan, his brothers Paddy and Jimmy, his sisters Bernie, Rosaleen and Mary his 16 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren and all his extended family at this sad time.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal.
