Dublin GAA circles have been left in shock with the news that former county footballer and hurler Mick Holden had died suddenly yesterday morning. Aged 52, he was a member of the Dublin team that won the 1983 All-Ireland football title and also played in the finals of 1979 and Centenary Year, 1984.

A fine hurler and a tough, committed footballer, he was brought on to the football panel at full back as much for his presence, personality and whole-hearted enthusiasm as his technical abilities.

Speaking to Tom Humphries for the Dublin v Kerry book, Kevin Heffernan, who spotted the football potential in a hurler, asked rhetorically: "How could anyone not like Mick Holden?"

Nickey Brennan, president of the GAA, led the tributes and said that he was deeply shocked and saddened to learn the news.

"A light went out today in Dublin and GAA circles with the news of Mick's untimely death," said Brennan. He expressed his condolences to the Holden family and his large circle of friends.

"Mick embodied that rare gift of being a gentleman who enjoyed every minute on the playing field while performing at the hard edge of the cauldron of intercounty football at the highest level.

"Mick's tousled blonde hair made him stand out on the field of play as he excelled in all that is the cocktail of skill, commitment and pride in the jersey that represents the complete county player."

His family background was in Kilkenny and Mick Holden always regarded himself as more of a hurler than a footballer. He and his brothers, PJ and Vinny, hurled together at both club level with Cuala in Dalkey, south Dublin, reaching a Leinster final in 1989 and on county teams.

Aged just 14 he lined out with his brothers as goalkeeper on the Dublin minor team, which played Kilkenny in the 1969 Leinster final before the three went on to win the 1972 Leinster under-21 title, defeating Offaly in the final - Mick switching from goal to go up front and score the decisive goal - and becoming the last Dublin side until this month to play in an All-Ireland under-21 hurling final.

Speaking to The Irish Times just three weeks ago, he reminisced about his dual career: "I was more of a hurler but hurlers could always play football.

"The hand-to-eye co-ordination and the reading of the game meant you could but it wouldn't work the other way around."

He and his family have been huge contributors to the growth of the Cuala club in one of Dublin's least traditional GAA areas. This season Mick coached the club's minor hurling team, which only at the weekend defeated Ballyboden to reach the county semi-finals.

His passing is a sad and profound loss to his community, county and the GAA as a whole.

Another great GAA personality, from a different era, Eamonn Mongey was laid to rest in Shanganagh Cemetery in Dublin yesterday. He passed away last Sunday at the age of 82. A centrefielder on the Mayo teams that won the All-Ireland in 1950-51, he was from Castlebar and grew up playing with the famous local Mitchels club.

By the mid-1950s he had moved to Dublin, where he played with Civil Service, to pursue a distinguished legal career that saw him become Registrar of the High Court and an authority on probate law. In 1955 he trained his Dublin-based Mayo team-mates but retired after that season's All-Ireland semi-final replay defeat by Dublin.

Eamonn Mongey was well known in his retirement for a column that he contributed to the Sunday Press and also for his continued involvement in the affairs of the GAA, which led to his playing a major role in the campaign that eventually led to the abolition of the old ban on "foreign games" in 1971.

He retained a lively interest in the association up until his passing and was a frequent correspondent with newspapers.

Three years ago because of a special interest in cardiac illness, which ran in his family, he presented Castlebar Mitchels with a defibrillator in response to the publicity surrounding the sudden death of Cormac McAnallen and other young sportsmen.