The John Mitchels Club was shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of Catherine O'Connor (née Myers).

Catherine was born and raised in the Mileheight, Tralee, to a family steeped in John Mitchels and Kerry tradition. Both of Catherine’s grandfathers, Maurice McCarthy and Jack Myers, won all-Ireland medals with Kerry in the early 1900s. Maurice McCarthy won county championship medals with Tralee Mitchels, and Catherine’s uncle John McCarthy also won county championship medals with the club and also played with Kerry.

Catherine was a lifelong supporter of John Mitchels, and she was a dedicated club member; she attended almost every club game during her youth and in later years attended whenever possible. She was especially proud to watch her granddaughters Siún, Aoife and Caoimhe wear the John Mitchels jersey and to line out in Croke Park for the club for the U-12 Go Games last August.

Catherine was a trailblazer for ladies everywhere; she was the first lady secretary of the Tralee District board. This paved the way for other ladies in both Kerry and Ireland to hold prominent positions in both club and county. Catherine also held the position of club secretary for John Mitchels in 2016; she was also a member of various club committees over the years.

Catherine worked in the Kerry County Board for over 20 years, and she was always on hand to advise the club officers of rule changes and to help with any matters that arose between the club and the county board.

Catherine will be remembered for her unwavering passion for the GAA, her kindness to everybody she met, her dedication to her family, and her sense of humour. 

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Sincere condolences to Catherine’s children Jill, Michelle, John-David, and Billy; to her sister Diana and brother Joe; to sons-in-law John (O'Donnell) and Donnacha (Galvin); to her daughters-in-law Siobhán and Carol; to her grandchildren Emma, Aisling, Siún, Caoimhe, and Aoife; to extended family members and relatives; and to her many friends.