Grant, Charlie
November 23, 2006
The late Charlie Grant
In every community, in every generation, there are a number of people who work selflessly and without financial reward in the good of their neighbours. Occasionally, however, there is one person who stands out above all of those other admirable people - such a man was Charlie Grant.
Charlie was born and reared in the townland of Mullaghbane. He lost his father when he was a very young child and learned to work hard on the family farm. He literally never had one idle day for the rest of his full life.
He came to the notice of the mentors in Cuchulainn G.F.C. as an outstanding and totally committed under-age player. Even at an early age Charlie was intolerant to any half-hearted effort and he disliked 'half stories'.
He was a member of an amalgamated Minor team, Oliver Plunketts, selected from Mullaghbawn, Forkhill, Dromintee and Killeavy, which won the Armagh Minor Championship in 1963. The very next year he gave a brilliant display at corner forward on a Cuchulainns team which captured its first Armagh Senior Championship. His role in that historic win was so outstanding that he was selected on the Armagh Senior county team.
Charlie's contribution as a player was immense, but his work as a manager was colossal for his club and for Armagh football. From 1979 until his premature death he managed teams of all ages; drove the minibus; raised funds; stewarded discos; served on innumerable committees and sub-committees in both football and social areas; supervised the construction of club buildings; oversaw in the last few years the development of the new playing fields with the usual minute attention to detail and did a multitude of small tasks too numerous to mention.
No job was beneath him when it came to working for his club. Charlie's loyalty to his club and his sense of place were unshakeable. He loved his club and his county, but he respected all others. He assessed players with directness and honesty and every player went away from him enhanced and spiritually uplifted by his presence. He had that uncanny ability to make all who encountered him feel good about themselves. His effect on the youth of the area cannot be measured.
His unique qualities extended beyond the world of G.A.A. into the wider community. Everyone, however young or old, qualified for his help. If anyone wanted a good turn done he was invariably there, supported by Margaret on all occasions. He was comfortable with his people and they were comfortable with him.
During the last eleven and a half years of illness he showed the same fortitude as he did on all of his dealings. He dismissed sympathy and moved on because he always had something new to occupy his time, when people from other clubs and counties enquired about his health they seldom asked 'How is Charlie Grant?' A man who if referred to by only his first name has already achieved immortality.
The huge turnout at his wake and funeral were ample testimony to the esteem in which he was held. Players of all ages, both male and female, county and club; officials past and present and his myriad of friends and former work colleagues who attended will miss him for a long time. We offer the profound and heartfelt sympathy of all at Cuchulainn G.F.C. to his wife Margaret, daughter, Aisling, sons Kieran and Thomas, grandson Oran, brother Patrick, sister Anne and the entire family circle.
Go luighe cre an Mhullaigh Bhain go headrom air.
Courtesy of the Armagh Observer
23/11/06
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