Joe Winston

Joe Winston

Personal information
Sport	Gaelic football
Born	1944
Died	28 June 2021[1] (age 77)[2] Letterkenny University Hospital
Nickname	Dodo[3]
Occupation	ESB employee[2]
Club(s)
Years	Club
?–?	St Eunan's
Inter-county(ies)
Years	County
1970s	Donegal
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles	2

Joe 'Dodo' Winston (1944 – 28 June 2021) was an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for St Eunan's and the Donegal county team.

Playing career

Winston won his first ever medal with the St Eunan's under-16 team when he was 15 years of age in 1959.[2] He would go on to win three Donegal Senior Football Championships with the club.[2]

Winston won the Ulster Minor League with the Donegal minor football team in 1962.[2]

A feature on many 1970s Donegal teams,[4] He played in 1972 when Donegal won the Ulster Senior Football Championship for the first time and when they repeated the feat in 1974.[5][6] He scored five points against Tyrone in the 1972 Ulster final.[2][1]

He won his last ever medal while playing for St Eunan's in 1980, the Donegal Junior Football Championship.[2]

Post-playing career

Winston was an assistant (with Jimmy White) under the management of P. J. McGowan when Donegal won the 1987 All-Ireland Under 21 Football Championship.[7]

He also coached and managed with the St Eunan's club.[2] The club inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2005.[2]

Personal life

Winston was originally from Letterkenny.[2] He worked for the ESB.[2] Married to Mary, they had sons Kevin and Darren and a daughter Elaine, who died in 2012.[3] He lived at 3 Hawthorn Heights.[2] He also played association football, hurling and cricket and would bet on horse racing.[8]

Winston died on 28 June 2021, a Monday evening.[1] He was 77 years of age and died at Letterkenny University Hospital after a brief illness.[2] He had a wife, two sons, as well as three grandsons and a granddaughter. He had two brothers, Tom (Derry) and Brian (Ramelton).[2] As well as his daughter, another brother Brendan predeceased him.[2] Winston had socialised weekly during the ongoing pandemic before falling ill.[2][8] His funeral was held at the Cathedral of St Eunan and St Columba on 1 July.[2][9] He was buried with his daughter at Conwal Cemetery.[2]

Honours

St Eunan's

• Donegal Senior Football Championship (3): 19??, 19??, 19??
• Donegal Junior Football Championship: 1980[2]

Donegal

• Ulster Senior Football Championship: 1972,[2] 1974[2]

References

1. "Sad passing of Joe Dodo Winston". Highland Radio. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
2. "Recent deaths: A GAA great and gentleman". Donegal News. 1 July 2021. p. 4. The funeral takes place in St Eunan's Cathedral this morning of Joe 'Dodo' Winston, 3 Hawthorn Heights, Letterkenny. A native of the Cathedral town, [sic] Mr Winston (77) passed away at Letterkenny University Hospital following a short illness. He was a retired ESB employee… He will be buried alongside Elaine in Conwal Cemetery this afternoon.
3. "Outstanding Long Serving County Stars". Archived from the original on 12 April 2015.
4. Keys, Colm (5 November 2012). "Eunan's survive storm". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 18 December 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2012. …Joe played for Donegal in the 1970s.
5. Foley, Alan (6 November 2012). "Champions St Eunan's pay respects to Elaine". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
6. "St Eunan's captain pays tribute to Elaine". Hogan Stand. 6 November 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
7. "Donegal downed the Kingdom back in 1987 too". Donegal Democrat. 2 November 2012. Archived from the original on 8 January 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2012. Under the management of current county chairman, PJ McGowan, assisted by Jimmy White and Joe Winston, they needed a replay to finally close out the final against a Kerry side that included Mick Galwey, who was to later to represent Munster and Ireland at rugby with distinction.
8. Bonner, Declan (1 July 2021). "Good start in Newry: Joe Winston". Donegal News. p. 95. I would have got [sic] to know 'Dodo' over the years and there was always plenty of craic if you bumped into him for a coffee around Letterkenny. I met him four or five weeks ago before he went into hospital and kept in touch while he was in. Unfortunately he passed away very quickly in the end. 'Dodo' loved all sports and as well as starring at gaelic [sic] football, he also played soccer and hurling. He also told me that he even dabbled in a bit of cricket around [[St Johnston, County Donegal|]]. He also loved nothing better than having a wee flutter on the horses on a Saturday afternoon.
9. "Passing of St Eunan's legend Joe 'Dodo' Winston". Donegal News. 1 July 2021. p. 93. His funeral will take place in St Eunan's Cathedral at 11am this morning.