Mattie Corcoran, Whitepark, Dysart and formally of Cornamona, County Galway, passed away on Thursday, May 4th, 2017. The popular St Malachy's clubman's unexpected death caused sadness throughout the Dysart and Castletown Geoghegan communities and beyond. A Galway native and fluent Irish speaker, Mattie emigrated to England in the mid-1950s but returned home with his new wife Mary to settle in Dysart in 1964, taking over the running of the family farm. A larger - than - life character, he was known far and wide for his GAA involvement, lining out for a number of clubs as a young man, including Dysart, Ballinagore and Kilbeggan, with whom he won a junior championship in 1965. 

St Malachy's fielded their first adult team in 1969 and it was here that Mattie Corcoran's lifelong association began. He went on to become a legendary figure in the club. Full forward on the side that captured the 1970 junior football championship, he was a selector when the club added intermediate and senior titles in 1975 and '81 respectively. He served Malachy's as chairman in 1973 and '74 and also represented the club at County Convention for more than four decades. President of the club at the time of his death, Mattie also served as Vice-Chairman of the County Football Board and was a selector for the county senior footballers when Mattie Kerrigan was manager. He also worked within the juvenile section of the club for years, also with Dysart National School football teams and was an avid supporter of Castletown - Geoghegan Hurling Club.