The new Multi-Use Games Area in Rahoon has been officially named in honour of Eugene Dunleavy, sportsman, all-Ireland GAA winner, and a teacher who inspired a love of sport in hundreds of young men over his career. The naming was celebrated by the former Mayor of the City of Galway, Cllr Peter Keane, Eugene’s wife Mary, and his daughters Valerie and Carol, at a naming ceremony in May 2025.
Eugene was born in Mayo in 1934, moving with his family to Galway where he opened the Sacre Coeur Hotel in Salthill - a well known spot for sporting functions.
Eugene was heavily involved in sport at a local level - and nationally as a member of the Galway Minor GAA team that famously won the 1952 All-Ireland title.
He was one of the first PE teachers in Ireland, going to the UK in the 1960s for a specialist qualification. He was the first qualified PE teacher in Galway – and took up teaching with The Bish, working there for 32 years as PE teacher from 1967-1999. During his time in The Bish, he influenced many young men to develop a love of sport. From his earliest days in The Bish, Eugene encouraged every student to get involved in some sport – with the joy to be found not just in the winning, but also in the competing.
After he retired in 1999, Eugene regularly returned to the school, driving the ‘Bish Bus’ all over the country bringing school teams to events, and was a well-loved sports character.
Eugene Dunleavy passed away in 2021, a month shy of his 87th birthday. He was taken too soon by Covid, swifty, in the height of the pandemic, having lived an active and engaged life going to the gym, walking daily and playing golf, right up to his passing.
From winning an All-Ireland, to inspiring and supporting generations of boys to engage in sport, Eugene Dunleavy’s love of sport and positive sporting influence impacted positively on so many lives in Galway.
His daughter Valerie Leahy nominated Eugene Dunleavy as part of a public consultation to name the new MUGA, in April 2024. The proposal was recommended for consideration by Council, and approved, with the official naming delayed due to damage to the facility from Storm Éowyn earlier this year. Following repairs, the official naming took place on Friday 23 May 2025.
The MUGA is located in Rahoon, adjacent to the Glen Oaks Hotel.