Vincent Nangle passed away on September 4th after a short illness. Anyone who travels the Moy Road from Summerhill to Enfield will know the famous shop and post office at Agher Cross. It was here that Vincent plied his trade for six decades, and when he and his wife Ann closed the door for the last time in December 2018 it was the end of an era. This wasn’t just a shop that sold everything; it was a meeting place, a centre for debate and discourse on matters of the day, most notably sport and GAA in particular. From behind the counter Vincent would chair the pre- and post-match discussions of Summerhill and Meath team performances in local championship and on the national stage respectively.
Vincent played in goal for the 1966 team that won the Junior Championship, alongside his late brother Jim (RIP), a young Mattie Kerrigan, and a few others who later played in the ‘golden era’ of 1974-77. The club won 4 Keegan Cups in a row in these years, having won the Intermediate title in 1972 and the Feis Cup in ’73, and finally crowned with a Leinster Championship in ’77. This era coincided with Vincent’s tenure as club treasurer (’73-’77). He was an excellent treasurer, who applied the same diligence to the role as if it was his own business.
They say the apple never falls far from the tree, and so the next generation carried on the GAA tradition. Vincent’s proudest moment was when his son Peter lined out at wing half forward on the victorious Keegan Cup team of 1986, captained by Padraig Lyons in that famous final played in Kells. Peter coached underage ladies’ teams in recent years, and his daughters have provided their late grandad with many proud moments in the blue and gold of Summerhill.
An all-round sportsman, Vincent excelled at tennis and enjoyed a game of golf in the lovely course established beside him by his nephews Mark and John Nangle. Sunday afternoons, when the shop closed, were his time to relax and take to the fairways. He was a regular card player too; whist and poker were his passion and the Poker Group in Summerhill Community Centre fondly remember him as ‘never missing a night’.
It may be a cliché but Vincent Nangle was one of life’s true gentlemen. He had time for everyone, and everyone benefitted from their time spent in his company. We extend our sincere condolences to his wife Ann, daughter Anna, Peter, Barry, Stan, and extended family.
Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis.