Arravale Rovers and Newport connections

Brendan Lohan was a Galway-born garda who was stationed in Newport in the latter half of the 1950s. His brother, Gus, played senior hurling with both Clare and Galway. Gus’s sons and grandson wore the Clare jersey with distinction, his son, Brian, being the current senior hurling manager. His grandson, also Gus captained the Galway minor hurling team to win a Leinster title and helped his club Oranmore-Maree to win the Galway MH championship in 2026. Brendan helped Newport to win the County Junior Hurling title in 1957 and was known as a no-nonsense hurler defender. A verse from a song written to celebrate that victory reads:
Liam Keown our captain served us well, his hurling it was grand;
Bill ‘Jim’ would never lift the ball but kept it on the land;
Galway’s Brendan Lohan did not seem to care a rap,
While he held opposing forwards out and ‘Jimmo’ manned the gap.

Brendan assisted Newport in senior hurling in 1958 but soon after he was moved to Kilcommon and he threw in his lot with the local club. From there his garda duties took him to Tipperary Town. Arravale Rovers’ captain, John Paul Lohan is a grandson of Brendan Lohan.

Another Arravale Rovers player has a unique connection with Newport. Páirc Uí Riain (Lacken Park) is dedicated to the memory of Niall Sharpe’s ancestor. Paddy Ryan (Lacken 1898-1944) was a noted freedom fighter and often fought alongside Sean Treacy after whom the GAA field in Tipperary Town is named. Niall was just two years of age when his grandfather, Mick Ryan Lacken died. Paddy Ryan was an uncle of Mick’s. Incidentally, the same Mick wrote the above song about the Newport 1957 team. Also by coincidence, Niall’s first cousin, Harry Noone, won two county hurling medals this year with Newport.