O'Neill, Joe
October 10, 2013Last weekend up on a thousand people turned out to pay their respects to a man who was described "as larger than life" by those who knew him. The veteran Republican Joe O'Neill who passed away on the previous Wednesday in Sligo was known to many but for so many different reasons - a politician, a footballer, a singer, a dancer - everybody had their own tale to tell about the man who sparked much controversy in his life.
The President of Republican Sinn Fein, Des Dalton spoke of his Vice President saying, "From the 1950s onwards Joe O'Neill served the cause of Republicanism in a variety of capacities at both local as well as national level. He was a stalwart of Irish Republicanism.
"On both occasions when a reformist clique attempted to hijack the Republican Movement, in 1969/70 and again in 1986, Joe O'Neill was steadfast in his fidelity to the All-Ireland Republic of 1916. "The Eire Nua programme for a free and federal Ireland was championed by Joe as the key to bringing about a just and lasting settlement for all of the Irish people.
For him it represented the best opportunity of fulfilling Theobald Wolfe Tone's aim of uniting Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter as Irish men and Irish women."
"Joe gave unstinting service to his community for almost thirty years as a local public representative. He was co-opted on to the Ballyshannon Town Commissioners in 1963 and later elected to Bundoran Town Council where he was to serve for over 25 years. Joe embraced all aspects of Irish culture, including its music and history. He had an enduring love of Gaelic games. Joe was a lifelong member of the GAA.
"For Joe O'Neill there was no shortcut to a free Ireland. He believed that as long as Ireland was partitioned and occupied by the British State there could be no lasting peace. He was a man of high principle with a burning sense of justice. It is because of the lifetime dedication of men and women like Joe O'Neill that there is a new generation there to take up the torch of revolutionary Irish Republicanism.
The Minister of the Gaeltacht, Dinny McGinley TD said, "I always found Joe to be a very approachable man and had many's a discussion with him. We both served together on the VEC. He really was a 'larger than life character' and like his brother Eoin Roe a great man on the sports field. I didn't agree with all his politics and beliefs but everybody is entitled to their own beliefs."
Veteran Labour politician Seamus Rodgers's greatest memories of Joe O'Neill were his time on the sports field. "He was a great hurler and footballer and a great supporter of both Donegal and Tyrone - in fact he told me that two of his proudest days were seeing Donegal in 1992 and Tyrone in 1993 taking home the Sam.
"He had five county championship medals with St. Joseph's and one All-Ireland Club Medal after they beat Dunmore McHales from Galway in 1968. He was a hard but clean footballer - he took no prisoners.
"From a political perspective Joe and his own views and he never veered from them - he was entitled to those. On a more local level, he was passionate about Ballyshannon and Bundoran and served on the Ballyshannon Town Commission and Bundoran Urban District Council."
Cllr. Sean McEniff recalled Joe's early days, on the sports field and recalled that when playing for Ulster in a charity match alongside Joe received a serious injury which put him in hospital for a number of weeks and put an end to his footballing career.
"I didn't agree with his politics but I have to admire the man for sticking to his beliefs against the flowing tide. We both served on the Urban Council for 25 years and there is one thing I will say - when Joe entered the Chamber, he put his party politics behind him and devoted all his efforts to the overall good of Bundoran.
"Joe was immersed in the drinks business which was unusual in that he never touched the stuff himself - he was in the pub business for years, ran his own bottling company and caused quite a bit of controversy when he refused a breath test after declaring he was a 'Pioneer'!
'We were also in business together when we were in our mid twenties selling the old black and white televisions around the county and in more recent years I dealt with him in his auctioneering business. Joe will be missed around Bundoran." Sinn Fein's Michael McMahon paid a warm tribute to the late Mr O'Neill saying, "The first time I met Joe was at the height of the troubles when refugees were pouring across the border into Bundoran. This was at a time when the Irish Government were moving troops to border areas and the late Taoiseach Jack Lynch declared 'We will not stand idly by."
"Joe was to the forefront in ensuring that these people who had been bombed and burnt out of their homes were looked after. He was consistent in his beliefs and never deviated - he wanted a 32 county Ireland.
"His love of Bundoran and Ballyshannon was unquestionable as were his GAA connections. He often boasted that he was the first Donegal man to get an All Star but neglected to say it was one of the Jimmy McGee All Stars!
"He was also one of the greatest sources of All Ireland tickets - when Hogan Stand seats were like gold dust, a visit to the Dergvale Hotel on the morning of the match meeting Joe ensured your entry into the hallowed grounds.
Cllr Philip McGlynn, chairman of Donegal ETB, said Joe was a superb contributor over many years to the then VEC. He said: "Joe had many sides to him, he cared about the education of the people of this county and made a huge unsung contribution to education here."
Deputy Thomas Pringle added, "We may have agreed to disagree on certain political matters but everybody is entitled to their own political viewpoint. I would like to offer my deepest sympathies to all his family."
Donegal Democrat, October 10th 2013 Tweet
