Mr Mickey Harte

Meeting of Wednesday 2 October 2019: Speaker, Mr Mickey Harte

On Wednesday 2 October Omagh Probus resumed after the summer recesss, and following a welcome back President, Oliver Loughran, congratulated member Bob Lingwood on his 101st birthday. He then paid tribute to two members who had sadly passed away since the club had last met on 29th May, namely Mr Ron Burch and Mr Wilbour Knox. The guest speaker was Mr Mickey Harte, best known as manager of Tyrone GAA but someone whose outlook on life which stretches well beyond football pitch. In fact Mickey surprised some members by not mentioning Gaelic games once in a talk in which he shared his philosophy for life and the values he had acquired along the way. Beginning with his childhood in Ballygawley where he was the youngest of 10 children, Mickey described how the church was the centre of community life and family prayers were said at the close of each day. Mickey married Marian in 1978 and together they had four children – three boys and a girl. The loss of Michaela in 2011 was an tragedy which tested the family’s faith, strength and courage. Mr Harte spoke movingly about what motivates him and how he has used his convictions to motivate and inspire others. Throughout his talk Mickey’s sense of humour surfaced time and again in stories, anecdotes and one-liners that captured the wit and wisdom of a man who commands respect and admiration across the community, the county and the island of Ireland.