Tipperary man's 55 years of loyal service with London GAA club is honoured

Two years after their scheduled centenary celebrations were scuppered by the onset of the pandemic, one of London’s oldest clubs celebrated its centenary at London GAA’s headquarters in McGovern Park, South Ruislip.

And for 55 of those 100 years, Lorrha native Tom Milne has given his loyal service to Brothers Pearse GAA club.

In between his undivided attention to his family and his adopted London-based club, Tom Milne has also loyally served his native county in a number of roles with the London Tipperary Association. He is therefore no stranger in Tipperary GAA circles and was awarded a Laochra Gael accolade in 2017 for his services to Gaelic games both on and off the field.

And after years of welcoming and hosting so many Irish visitors, including many victorious Tipperary teams, along with many other exiles in London, there is no doubt that octogenarian Tom Milne has truly earned all these well-deserved accolades. While it may be possible to take the man out of Tipperary, Tom has certainly stood the test of time after spending over 60 years across the pond and proved that it just impossible to take the Tipperary out of this man.

A popular, colourful and habitually jovial figure in so many strands of Irish community life since he first arrived in London in the early 60s, Tom’s main interest away from his family and from his former professional commitments in the pub licensing trade is his unstinting love of his native county. That fact has also been mainly responsible for making Tom a leading figurehead and stalwart in the London Tipperary Association since the early 70s.

Serving the London Tipperary Association in a number of roles from vice-chairman to his current status as life president, Tom has hosted and rubbed shoulders with some of the greatest figures in Tipperary GAA history including the late John Doyle and the late Tommy Barrett, Babs Keating, Nicky English, Pat Fox and Eoin Kelly, right up to some of the members of the current playing squad. 

Tom’s own involvement in the game dates back to his school days in the 50s with St Molaises, Portumna to his long association with the Brothers Pearse GAA club where he served as player, team manager and many roles as a club officer including club chairman. But Tom has also dabbled with many other sports during a very fulfilled life including greyhound and horse racing and he also still enjoys his game of golf. 

Apart from helping to organise several Tipperary Association functions over six decades, Tom Milne has also found time to get involved in helping to organise the annual London St Patrick’s Day Parade. He has also helped and served numerous worthy charitable causes over the years, most notably spearheading Brothers Pearse hurler and Lorrha man Tony Hogan's appeal some years ago. 

After receiving his recent Brothers Pearse GAA centenary award, Tom stated: “I’m delighted and privileged to be honoured by my club but I would also like to thank the numerous people I have met and worked with over the years and who have all played their part in supporting me down through the years and especially my family members - Kathy my wife, son Tony and daughters Michelle and Susan.” 

Among the special guests at the Brothers Pearse GAA club’s centenary banquet was GAA president Larry McCarthy, who congratulated the club on reaching its historic milestone. In its early years the club attracted many Galway exiles including the legendary Billy Duffy from Eyrecourt, considered to be among their greatest-ever players.

However, since the establishment of the St Gabriel’s club 60 years ago, that has not been the case and a number of Tipperary men other than Tom Milne have donned the green and gold, including Roscrea’s Donal Kealy and current team member Ian Dwyer from Gortnahoe. 

But perhaps the man most synonymous with Brothers Pearse throughout his long distinguished playing career with his club and London is Limerick man Gerry Rea from Effin. He famously marked his own brother, the late Ned Rea, when they famously came face-to-face in the 1973 All-Ireland senior hurling championship semi-final in Ennis on August 5, a week after Limerick pipped Tipperary in the Munster final, the year when the Treaty County went on to defeat Kilkenny in their last Liam MacCarthy Cup success before 2018.

Other high profile players to line out for Brothers Pearse in recent times include Kilkenny bothers Andy and Martin Comerford.

Six nominations for Fethard Sports Achievements Award for March