Regretted death of a Donegal GAA legend - Seamus Bonner
Former Donegal footballer Seamus Bonner has passed away
A legend of the gaelic football fields of Donegal and Ireland has left us today.
Seamus Bonner, the big man with the big smile, who had an illustrious playing career with Donegal spanning two decades and 129 games in the 1970s and ‘80s, went to his eternal reward earlier today and news of his death, after a short illness, is reported and learned off with deep regret.
Funeral arrangements as yet, are not available, but will be updated here when they become available. We extend our deepest sympathy to his family and friends in Donegal and Dublin.
The late Seamus Bonner - a brief profile
Donegal Town man Seamus Bonner, was a member of the Civil Service club in Dublin, and was also one of Brian McEniff’s lieutenants in the early 1990s and a member of the 1992 backroom team.
A three time Ulster Senior Championship winner and along with Brian McEniff, holds the distinction of being involved in Donegal’s first five Ulster championship wins, three as a player and two as a mentor.
In a recent feature for the Donegal Democrat, Brian McEniff told us:
“I first came across Seamus playing for Drumbar back in the 1960s, before he moved to Four Masters and then to Dublin and joined the Civil Service club and was on the first Ulster winning team in 1972 at midfield.
“He moved to full-forward for the 1974 season and took to the position like a duck to water and scored seven goals in four games; four against Antrim, two against Down and one against Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final.
“He was a good football man and had a cool head and was always cool on the line when others and myself might be getting excited.
“Seamus was based in Dublin, too, which was big help because we had a couple of lads living in the city at the time. He held strong views and opinions and was not afraid to voice his opinion, got on well with everyone and was well liked by everybody in the set-up and is a genuine nice fella.”
He also had a successful club playing career with Civil Service in Dublin and won a Dublin championship with the club and after 1994 when Brian McEniff stepped down, he went into management on his own.
Following his Donegal days he had a short spell managing Leitrim.
Seamus Bonner - Factfile
Donegal championship debut: 1972 v Down in Ballybofey
Last championship game: 1985 v Monaghan
Appearances for Donegal: 129
Honours
Ulster SFC: 1972, 1974, 1983, 1990 and 1992 (as mentor)
All-Ireland SFC: 1992 (mentor)
Dublin Senior Championship: 1980 with Civil Service as captain.
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Saturday 25 May 2013
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