Connemara West has been privileged to have been served by dedicated voluntary Directors over last 50 years and we will be remembering them all in the coming months. The original Directors of Connemara West were company were Fr Edward Tuffy, (RIP) Tullycross, Malachy Conboy, RIP, Lettergesh, Michael O’Neill, Tully, Paul Aspell, RIP, Letterfrack and Joe O’Toole, Moyard. There were two additional directors nominated to the Board by Ireland West and Galway County Council as both organisations had invested in Connemara West to support the Renvyle Thatched cottages project. Senator John M Mannion, RIP, Clifden was nominated by Galway County Council and Padraic Joyce, County Councillor, Clifden was nominated by Ireland West. Dan G O’Neill of Ireland West and Paddy Monahan of Rent an Irish Cottage agreed to be advisors to the Board.
We are dedicating this blog today to the original local directors who are sadly no longer with us. They had all been involved in other organisations in the Parish prior to Connemara West. Fr Edward Tuffy was the curate in Tullycross and was a director of Connemara until 1974 and under his leadership the mammoth task was undertaken by a company that had no experience of building but still succeeded in building Renvyle Thatched Holiday Cottages. This success was a major achievement which built on the confidence already generated by the Credit Union and gave Connemara West and the community confidence for future projects.
Malachy (Conboy) was the first Chairman of Connemara West from March 1972 to August 1976. He remained a director until his death in August 1978. He was also involved in many other community organisations. Under his chairmanship, Connemara West established its most important early work.
Paul (Aspell) remained an active director of Connemara West until his death in 1986. Her was chairman of the company for two years. Paul had returned to the area from the United States in 1966. He was an active members of other community organisations including Ballinakill Community Council and Tullycross Credit Union and he gave Connemara West years of outstanding service. He died in October 1986 after a long illness.
The pictures are as follows – Joe O’Toole and Michael O’Neill with Fr Tuffy in 1997 at the 25th Connemara West anniversary celebrations and Malachy Conboy and Paul Aspell.