The Twin Towns are in mourning of a GAA great, Bernard Laverty, Cappry, Ballybofey.
Bernard (85) is a member of what is described locally as the “Laverty dynasty” a traditional GAA family that once consisted of fifteen offspring originally from Drumboe, Stranorlar.
Bernard represented Sean MacCumhaill’s for many years throughout their ‘golden period’ of the ’60s and is described as being a great midfielder playing alongside his two brothers, the late Mickey and Harry. At one stage there were five of the Drumboe Laverty brothers in the Sean MacCumhaill’s panel.
His older brother Harry represented the county and was described as been ‘a terrific little footballer with lightning speed who was before his time’.
Indeed the Laverty women excelled at the Camogie and were notorious for their humorous heckling of referees in support of their brothers if a decision went against them.
Undoubtedly as expected, sport has followed through the generations, Bernard’s grandson Luke McGlynn is a promising upcoming player who is currently on the Donegal Senior Football Panel and is named on the bench for tomorrow (Saturday) evening’s game against Monaghan in Healy Park in Omagh. He also excelled in soccer having represented Ireland at underage levels. Also his grandsons Del Laverty and Patrick Hannigan were both successful members of the Donegal County Hurling Panel. Bernard’s late mother Mary washed the County team jerseys by hand, no easy task.
Many tributes have been paid since Bernard’s passing this morning. The one word that keeps recurring is “gentleman” and someone who had time to chat with everyone, young and old.
He is survived by his 7 children, Marie, Margaret, Ben, Anne, Grainne, Paula and Lisa, his 22 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and his sole remaining sibling Margaret (Thompson) .
