The late Pete Dolan, Ballinamore and New York

In Ruislip on Sunday last a minutes silence was observed in memory of Pete Dolan, one of the great Ballinamore players from the 1940s who died in New York. Fr Dan Gallogly, in his history of Ballinamore Seán O’Heslin, stated that “one of the outstanding players of the forties was Pete Dolan”. Pete was on the Leitrim team which won the Connacht Minor Football Championship in 1945 and qualified for the All Ireland Final against Dublin. By the time of the final, Pete was a clerical student in All Hallows College and was soon to discover that an “ábhar sagairt” would not be allowed out to play football, even in an All Ireland Final. This being the first time a Leitrim team ever reached an All Ireland Minor Final, Pete had other ideas and made good his escape the day before the final. Leitrim lost the match and All Hallows lost a student. Pete never returned to the college. A year later, Pete was on the Leitrim team which won the Connacht Junior Football Championship. They lost to Down in the All Ireland Final in Breiffne Park. In 1949, he played on the Leitrim senior team which had a dramatic win over Galway in the Connacht Senior Championship semi-final but lost to Mayo in the Final. He also won a Donegal Football Championship with Letterkenny. Pete was a son of Dr Dolan’s and a cousin of another legendary Ballinamore player, Paddy Dolan. Fuair sé bás i Nua Eabhrach ar an 23 Bealtaine 2017.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh sé.

03-Jun-17 by Sean O Suilleabhain