ARCO regrets to inform its members of the death of Colonel James (Jim) Fives of Salthill, County Galway and formerly of Tourin, County Waterford. Peacefully, on Thursday 17 December 2020 at University Hospital, Galway. Beloved husband of Julie and much loved father of Karen, Kieran, Anne Marie, Allyn and Aonghus. Sadly missed by his wife and children, sisters Mary and Nora, daughters-in-law Ingrid, Anne Marie and Fiona, son-in-law Des and grandchildren Alexander, Daniel, Sophie, Thomas, Oisín, Joanna and Doireann, the extended family, neighbours, Defence Forces colleagues and friends.
Jim Fives was born on 10 April 1929 in Tourin, County Waterford and was educated locally and at Lismore CBS. He entered the Cadet School in 1949 as a member of 23 Cadet Class, was commissioned into the Infantry Corps on 8 May 1951, and posted to An Chéad Cath. He served as Lieutenant, Platoon Commander, C Company, 32 Infantry Battalion, the first unit of the Defence Forces to serve in the Congo. He also served in UNTSO as part of his overseas service. Among the appointments he held at home were Officer Commanding USAC, Officer Commanding An Chéad Cath, Officer Commanding 30 Infantry Battalion and Officer Commanding Western Command FCA. He was also Chief Instructor in the Infantry School.
A gifted hurler and Gaelic footballer, Jim Fives won a county football championship medal with An Chéad Chath in 1951. His league and championship career with the Waterford and Galway senior hurling teams lasted from 1949 until 1959. He captained the Waterford senior team in 1951 which went down by three points to Tipperary. Having switched counties, Jim played in the 1955 senior final (Galway versus Wexford) and the 1958 senior final (Galway versus Tipperary). Galway were runners up on both occasions. From 1961 he was a member of the Roscommon junior team which won three successive Connacht Junior Hurling Championship medals. Jim Fives was selected as captain of the 1984 Centenary Team of hurlers who did not win an All-Ireland Championship and was also featured in 1984 on Galway’s Team of the Century.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis
A private Requiem Mass will be celebrated for Jim at the Church of Christ the King, Salthill on Monday, 21 December, at 11 a.m. Funeral after Mass to Rahoon Cemetery. In an effort to curtail the spread of Covid-19 the number of attendees at the Church and cemetery will be limited to 25. The Mass will be live-streamed on the following link: http://www.salthillparish.ie/our-parish/webcam/
Members may wish to leave personal messages in the ‘Condolences’ section of Jim’s death notice on rip.ie – https://rip.ie/death-notice/col.-james-jim-fives-retired-salthill-galway/442380#!photo
