The Connaught Telegraph sports editor retires after 47-year career

FORTY-SEVEN years after he joined The Connaught Telegraph as a reporter, sports editor John Melvin has retired.

He has thankfully not entirely hung up his pen and you'll see his contributions, after a short bit of R&R, on our pages again.

John's passion for and knowledge of sport has always been very much alive in his writing.

In the newsroom itself, John is held in great affection by his colleagues.

On his retirement, one pointed out their one regret for John was that he never got to write the headline as sports editor that continues to evade all journalists in the county – 'Mayo are All-Ireland champions'.

John joined The Connaught Telegraph back in 1973 and spent the first few years working as correspondent in Westport at a time when Westport United were at the peak of their power.

Westport United were not just a sporting club, they were a terrific social club, and most post-match interviews were carried out at the Helm Bar where Michael McLoughlin provided the entertainment with his guitar having earlier provided the entertainment on the pitch with his skills as one of the many fine soccer players to emerge from Westport, including Michael’s brother Sean, the Halpin boys, Paddy Smith, John Coffey and Chris Keane, to mention just a few.

John enjoyed his years in Westport but was moved back to Castlebar in 1976 where he began to establish his reputation as a leading GAA writer, covering club football as well as inter-county games involving Mayo at minor, Under 21 and senior level in a sporting career which spanned four decades.

The 1989 final, with John O’Mahony at the helm, and in 1996 when John Maughan brought Mayo within touching distances of an All-Ireland were among the many highlights of a long career which involved many visits to Croke Park - and many long and lonely journeys home empty-handed.

He drew the ire of the GAA when The Connaught Telegraph printed the famous blank page after Mayo took a hammering against Galway in the 1982 Connaught final played in Tuam, Mayo losing by 3-17 to 0-10.

The blank page was not meant to be an insult to the Mayo team who had been on duty that day but was an attempt to reflect the disappointment and hurt Mayo supporters felt by taking such a hiding from their neighbours.

His colleague, and good friend, Sean Rice, who John replaced after Sean moved from the Telegraph to the Connacht Tribune, had set the trend some years before with the famous 'I refuse to report’ heading, Sean refusing to report on a game after Mayo once again had their hopes dashed by Galway at MacHale Park in 1968.

The arrival of James Horan on the scene in 2010 following the departure of John O’Mahony brought Mayo up again to a new level as they maintained the search for that elusive Sam Maguire as John found himself following Mayo to New York and London.

And there were of course those trips the length and breadth of Ireland for the national league matches with the Byrne’s Babes, which became famous.

He came from the old school of journalism where reporters were multi-tasking before the phrase was ever heard of, covering courts, council meetings, as well as sports.

He also saw the changing face of the newspaper industry as the hot metal days disappeared and new technology came on stream.

The successful Young Sports Star Awards were introduced during his term as sports editor and those awards have been a huge success, recognising the talents of many younger athletes of some sports which did not always get the recognition they deserved.

He also provided basketball - a sport he has a huge passion for - with excellent coverage during the great era of Ballina Basketball Club when coach Terry Kennedy took the team which had the three McHale brothers on board - Sean, Anthony and Liam - to two National Cups, while he was also involved with Saleen Basketball Club along with Theresa McDonnell when the local Castlebar Street Leagues were established.

He still continued to referee basketball at club and school level in Mayo during his years with The Connaught Telegraph and also found time to pursue his interest in archaeology, completing a BS in archaeology in Sligo IT.

John will now have more time to spend with his long-suffering wife Ann, who may in turn be looking to spend more time on the golf course!

John, happy retirement from your CT family and many readers, and wishing you and Ann and the Melvin family all the best.

* Photo: One from The Connaught Telegraph archives: John Melvin pictured in the newsroom of the newspaper’s old offices on Cavendish Lane.