| Galway’s goalkeeping great: Jack Mangan
 HENRY
WYMBS continues his occasional series on the GAA greats looking at Galway’s
Jack Mangan.
On the day he made history in 1956 by lifting the Sam Maguire as Galway
captain Jack Mangan made a speech that stirred the hearts of all who listened.
To this day older GAA fans recall the moment and Mangan himself remembers
clearly the words he spoke. With the country celebrating his county’s
brilliant victory, Mangan had thoughts only for the opposition Cork so
gallant had they been in defeat.
Mangan said: “A fantastic day. It was a very good match, an exciting
game but absolutely clean. No dirt in the play whatsoever but I said afterwards
that if a schoolboy wants to play Gaelic football let him play the way
Cork played.”
Mangan, the son of a dentist, grew up in Tuam with schoolfriends and fellow
footballers Sean Purcell and Frankie Stockwell. The three went to National
School together while Mangan and Stockwell both went on to Tuam CBS (now
called St. Patrick’s)
Mangan, now 78, still rates the late Sean Purcell as the greatest player
he ever saw and it was with him and Stockwell, known as the terrible twins,
that he tasted his first triumph in 1943 when Tuam Stars won the Galway
Senior Football Championship.
He said: “I was very young for senior football then. As a schoolboy
I was thrilled to even get picked. You worry if you are as mature as the
other players but they all said I was fine and not to worry.”
In 1946 Mangan left Tuam to work in Dublin spending a long period in Clery’s
famous store in O’Connell Street where he included among his workmates
Billy Rackard of Wexford hurling fame. Once settled in the capital Mangan
joined the Charles Kickham’s club that consisted mostly of fellow
drapers assistants from stores around the city.
Mangan said: “It was great fun. I spent seven years at Clery’s
and three years at Roche’s stores on Henry Street. We’d organise
a bit of training in the stores and then go up to the Phoenix Park in
the evening. It led to good companionship and camaraderie. I remember
it well. It was a very happy time in my life.”
By now a first-choice in the Galway senior team Mangan competed in two
epic Connacht finals against Mayo in 1948 — Galway lost the replay
but the defeat led to an over-haul of the selection system that sowed
the seeds for the county’s resurgence.
By 1956 Galway had improved immeasurably and Mangan after almost a decade
of loyal service was elected captain.
On their way to All-Ireland success that year they thrashed Mayo, Roscommon
and Sligo in Connacht and edged victory over Tyrone, in the semi-final
and Cork in the final.
Purcell and Stockwell, having now developed radar-like understanding,
were still at the hub of the team but Mangan was no less effective in
goal producing several fantastic saves in the final.
Mangan was an automatic choice with his province Connacht in the 1950s
and received all the accolades associated with the lofty position as Ireland’s
No.1 goalkeeper.
Mangan suffered from pes cavus (also known as claw foot) since he was
a child, which put extra strain on his ankle —in later years he
had to wear callipers — and eventually this forced him to retire
from football in 1958 at the age of 31.
In 1959 he emigrated to London where he met his wife Evelyn from Oranmore
whom he married in 1962. They have six children — three boys and
three girls. The following decade they moved to Bilston in Wolverhampton
and have stayed there ever since.
Three years ago, an unfortunatue fate befell Mangan. As a diabetes sufferer
he always knew the long-term consequences of the condition were potentially
serious. So when he was told he needed to have his leg amputated from
the knee down it came as no surprise. Typical of the man he has embraced
the slow return to strength, without a trace of self-pity.
He said: “It was probable in the end that I would have to get it
done. It was the left leg too — the good one. The trouble is that
because I wore the calliper the right leg is not that strong to take all
the pressure now but no matter what there is always someone else worse
off than you.”
For a man of such rich experience Mangan’s greatest memory surprised
me. In 1957 the year after the All-Ireland win Galway returned from a
trip to New York to play Louth. Nearly every player was struck down with
a strange virus in America but the team played regardless.
Mangan said: “Every year the team who won the All-Ireland played
in America. I suppose it was an award for being the best team. We travelled
by boat. It took about a week and I was laid up in bed afterwards for
four days, some other players were out for longer.
“We had such a good bunch of lads they got out of their sick beds
to play Louth who won the All-Ireland that year. I felt so proud of the
Galway team.”
In the 1970s thieves stole Mangan’s treasured medal collection including
the 1956 All-Ireland medal and a number of Railway Cup medals from 1951
to 1957.
Though heartbroken at the time Mangan can now as he relives his illustrious
career, place the experience in bittersweet perspective.
He says: “They can steal the medals but not my memories.”
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