lit a candle 7h agoMy mum called me about this, she still can't believe it came so soon after Mayo finally won Sam Maguire. Never met the man, only knew the name from her going on about it all July.
Their story
Seamus Tuohy was the Breaffy clubman who chaired Mayo GAA through the county's long-awaited All-Ireland senior football triumph. From Doogary, Breaffy, Castlebar, he spent decades in county administration before delegates elected him Mayo GAA County Board chairman in December 2021, defeating Ballaghaderreen's Con Moynihan at the Connacht GAA Centre of…
Seamus Tuohy was the Breaffy clubman who chaired Mayo GAA through the county's long-awaited All-Ireland senior football triumph. From Doogary, Breaffy, Castlebar, he spent decades in county administration before delegates elected him Mayo GAA County Board chairman in December 2021, defeating Ballaghaderreen's Con Moynihan at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence in Bekan. He succeeded Liam Moffatt and arrived already schooled as vice-chairman, chair of Bord na nOg and chair of the Competitions Control Committee.
Colleagues remembered a retired Mayo Mental Health Services staff member held in high regard for professionalism, and a volunteer whose impact on Mayo GAA "cannot be understated," as the Irish Examiner put it. In his mid-60s at the time of his death, Tuohy kept a low public profile while steering fixtures, governance and the appointment of Mayo GAA's first chief executive earlier in 2026.
The defining public image of his chairmanship came on 26 July 2026, when Andy Moran's Mayo side beat Kerry in Croke Park and ended a 75-year wait for Sam Maguire. RTE later published a photograph of Tuohy helping to lift the cup amid the green-and-red celebrations. For a county that had lived with near-misses and folklore of heartbreak, the chairman from Breaffy stood at the centre of the homecoming season.
Illness cut the victory short. Tuohy died on Tuesday 22 September 2026 at the Galway Clinic after a battle with illness borne, in the Western People's words, with courage and dignity. Mayo County Council postponed Friday's civic reception for the All-Ireland winners. Communications head Martina Hughes said the council extended sincere sympathies to the Tuohy family and to colleagues throughout Mayo GAA.
RIP.ie recorded the family circle that survives him: wife Marie; daughter Shona and son-in-law Peter; son Evan and daughter-in-law Amy; grandchildren Ave, Aedamar and Isla; brother Tommie; sisters Mary, Claire, Helen and Brid. He was predeceased by parents Tom and Claire Tuohy and sister Christina. Remains rested in the Dr Michael Loftus Room at McHale Park on Friday 25 September, with Requiem Mass on Saturday 26 September at St Aloysius Church, Breaffy, and burial in Breaffy Cemetery.
Irish Independent, RTE, Irish Examiner and Western People all marked a county board leader who linked club loyalty, mental-health professionalism and the rare administrative luck of being in the chair when Sam finally came home.
Biography adapted from RTE Sport; Irish Examiner; Irish Independent; Western People; Westmeath Independent; RIP.ie death notice (Castlebar).
In their own words
“On behalf of the cathaoirleach, the elected members, chief executive, Kevin Kelly, and the staff of Mayo County Council, I wish to extend our sincere sympathies to the Tuohy family and to his colleagues and friends throughout Mayo GAA at this difficult time.”
Photos
2Seamus Tuohy, Mayo GAA County Board chairman
by People Forever
Seamus Tuohy (suited, left of cup) helping lift Sam Maguire after Mayo All-Ireland win
by People Forever
same, my dad texted me a photo of him lifting the cup, awful timing