Tributes are being paid in Clare to a former GAA stalwart.
Former Clare FM Sports Reporter Paddy McDonnell passed away suddenly over the weekend, following the Clare County Football Final in Cusack Park.
Paddy McDonnell is being remembered as one of Kilkee and Clare GAA’s greatest supporters.
The West Clare man passed away suddenly on Sunday at the age of 83, having attended the Clare senior football final in Cusack Park
In addition to his reporting on local radio, Paddy was also a regular contributor to the Clare Champion and County Express.
He played football for Kilkee and hurling for Kilkee-Bealaha, and also served as a committee member in both codes during his many years of involvement, and was a driving force in the promotion of hurling in particular in the West Clare area.
In a statement on social media, the St Senan’s Club has expressed sadness and shock, saying Paddy was one of it’s “biggest followers in recent memory, travelling to every part of the county to every game – league or championship – hail, rain or snow”.
Paddy is also highly regarded for his sporting knowledge, having been among a group of five local men to produce with “Kilkee, A Sporting Odyssey” in 2010, a publication chronicling the history of GAA and other sports in Kilkee.
Paddy will be laid to rest in Lisdeen Cemetery on Friday, following funeral mass in St. Senan’s Church, Kilkee at 11.30am
He’s survived by family in Moveen East and Chicago, and a wide circle of friends in the GAA and Amateur Drama Communities.
May he rest in peace.
