KILFENORA NATIVE, Alfie Howley died after a short illness in his eightieth year.
By Michael O’Connor
From a well-known Kilfenora family, Alfie lived in Renmore, Galway city for most of his adult life. He played football for Kilfenora and also for St Flannan’s College. He was in goal for the Ennis college as they won their first Corn Uí Mhuiri final in 1959 at the age of 16 and also went onto to play at minor and senior level for Clare.
Howley was also an active referee in Clare at a very young age and by the age of 22 had officiated two county senior football finals involving Cooraclare and St Joseph’s Miltown Malbay in 1964 and 1965, both won by Cooraclare.
He moved to Galway in the early 1960s and was part of the Father Griffin side that won two Galway senior football titles in 1966 and 67 with Howley scoring the winning goal in 1967.
Probably his lasting achievement in Galway GAA circles was his lifelong involvement in Galway city GAA affairs running successful city leagues for many years that helped develop football in the east of the city in particular. The nature of his character left an indelible mark on all those who engaged with the North Clare native who had a particular interest in all GAA activity in schools and third level GAA acting as an umpire on numerous occasions when retiring from referee duty.
His love and interest in Clare GAA never waned and knew more of local GAA affairs than many based in the Banner County and he welcomed all Clare GAA supporters to Pearse Stadium. Alfie loved little more than when Clare defeated Galway.
As a consequence of his long-term involvement in Pearse Stadium, he became one of the best-known characters in Galway GAA with teams at club and county level. He was a founding father of Renmore GAA club and eventually merged with Mervue to become St James GAA, one of the strongest club’s numbers wise in Galway. His son Padraic was a well-known footballer who captured a Donegal senior football championship in 1992 with Glencar and was top scorer in that particular championship.
He is sadly missed by wife Mary, children Padraic, Deirdre, Anne, Brien and John, brothers Kevin, Brian, Gerry, sisters Mary, Patricia, Bernie, Nancy, Brid and was predeceased by his sister Kay.
Alfie Howley will be laid to rest in Rinville cemetary on Wednesday afternoon.
