The Late John L. O'Sullivan Recently, Beara GAA lost one of its most loyal servants when John L. O'Sullivan of Lehanmore passed to his eternal reward following a brief illness. John L. as he was affectionately known, will be remembered for many reasons, not least but outstanding contribution to Beara football, as a player, a mentor and as a shrewd administrator. It was only after his death that I found out what the L. stood for. In fact it stood for Leo. I never heard him being called John Leo and, to be perfectly honest, being the straight forward man he was, he liked it plain and simple. It is said and apple never falls very far from the tree. In John L.'s case it was very true. His father, John Joe was a prominent member of the Beara Board GAA, holding the position of registrar in 1951, chairman in 1952 and 1953 and treasurer in 1955. John L. came to prominence as a player with the Beara minor football team in 1957 when he played at centre back. Beara reached the county final, but were eliminated from the competition on a technical objection. That same year, he played on the Cork minor football team. In 1958, he made his debut on the Beara senior football team and continued to do so for the next fifteen years. During this time, Beara won their first and only Kelleher Shield in 1960. He also won a county senior football championship medal with Beara in 1967, when they defeated a fancied UCC side after a replay. The following year Beara went on to win the Munster senior football club championship. He first became an officer of the Beara Board in 1964, when he took up the position of vice-chairman- a position he held for three years. In 1967, as well as playing on the victorious Beara team which won the county, he had the distinction of being chairman the same year. In 1973, John L. was back on the Beara Board, this time as registrar, and did so for four consecutive years. When most fellows would feel they had done their part, John L. was back again in the early 80s to do another stint as chairman. During his playing career he also played with Cork, at junior and senior level in 1960 and 1961. His work at under-age level was enormous. My abiding memory of John L. is seeing him arrive for an underage game with practically the whole team inside the car! Much of Beara's success at underage level can be attributed to him. John L. was a vice president of the Beara Board, as was Tony Carey of Adrigole- a great colleague of his, who also died recently. John L. was principal of the Lehanmore national school, until it was amalgamated in 1963 - after which he was vice-principal at Cahermore for twenty years until his retirement in 2000. This occupation afforded him the opportunity to foster and encourage the children going through the school in the intricacies of gaelic football. With his own club, Garnish, he played a leading role as a player and as an administrator. One of the major projects undertaken under his stewardship was the acquiring and developing of their well-laid out football pitch at Cahermore. He was involved in several community-based organisations, including the O'Sullivan Clan, the Allihies Copper Mine Museum and several others as well. His one real passion was fishing and he was never more content than when he was in a pair of oilskins heading out to sea. The crowd which attended his removal and burial bore testament to the high esteem he was held in here in Beara and further a field. Seldom, if ever, does a man acquire the status of legend until they are dead. In John L.'s case, he was a legend even when he was alive. To his wife Mary, his children Sinead, Shane, Aoife, Fintan, Niall and Eanna, his relatives and many friends sympathy was extended. Ar dheis lámh Dé go bhfuil a anam dílis. John Murphy Courtesy of the Southern Star 12th April 2008 Tweet

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