The Late Frank O'Donnell I was so sad to hear that my friend, Big Frank had died. May he rest in peace. I have known Frank and Michael all my life, from the time their father, John, ran the Bogagh Bus Company service, between Carrick and Killybegs. He used to park outside our house in Carrick and come in for a cup of tea with my mother and father. We were thrilled to be allowed to mind the bus until it was time to leave. Frank and I went off to St. Eunan's together. Michael had gone a year earlier. We moved to Colaiste Einde in Galway, where we both played football for the College team. Frank played for the Connaught Colleges Football Team. We moved to St. Patrick's Training College, Drumcondra, where we both played on the College team in the Dublin Senior Football Championship. I played in goal, with Frank as my full back. We were narrowly beaten in the Final. Frank used to tell that we did not have a goal scored against us all through the Championship. It was so comforting, as a goalkeeper to have a full back of Frank's calibre in front of me. We had built such an understanding, that when a high ball was kicked in, Frank would say. 'I'll hold back the tide-you go for the ball'. At the time the goalkeeper could be charged by specially placed heavyweight forwards and on a few occasions Frank and I, the ball and the full forward, ended up in the back of the net. Frank played full back for Dublin, Sligo and Donegal. As the Celebrant at his funeral Mass said. 'It must be a record to have played full back for three counties. Both Frank and I played for Killybegs, Kilcar and Donegal County. I remember the County Semi-final against Gweedore at Dooey, when the Gweedore forward bundled me into the back of the net and Frank, as fullback, reminded the referee, Sean Slevin from Ballyshannon, that the rule for charging goalkeepers had recently been changed. Sean disallowed the goal and we went on to win the County Championship against Letterkenny. Frank used to say that this must be unique in G.A.A. Annals, that a team should win a Co. Championship at the first effort. Frank was also an athlete of note, excelling at the shot put, long jump and high jump, where he won gold medals at the Connaught Colleges athletic championships, at the University grounds in Galway. Frank was much loved by his classmates. He was always at our College re-unions in Galway and in recent years at class re-unions with surviving classmates - among them John Byrne, who always came over from Chicago to Dublin for the occasion. John sadly passed away since our last re-union. I was glad to be present at Frank's funeral in Bundoran, with two other classmates, Eoin O'Cadhain and Deaglan O'Braonan. On our way from Dublin we reminisced on our student days - on our great regard and friendship for Frank in class and on the playing field. We replayed matches against St. Mary's Galway and St. Jarlath's Tuam, when Frank stood head and shoulders above all the rest, in stature and football ability. Young people will find it hard to believe that we used to board the Bogagh Bus at Carrick for Killybegs - get on the train there to Donegal - on the G.N.R. bus to Sligo where we stayed overnight - boarded the 7 o'clock a.m. train for Limerick - change at Athenry and wait there for four hours to board the Dublin/Galway train, arriving in Galway at 4 p.m. We then headed for the Savoy Cinema and after the film ran three miles to be in the College before 6 o'clock,for 'incarceration', until the end of term. 'Times wuz tough', as John The Miner used to say. Others will write of Frank's prowess as a noted golfer, but I will always remember our schooldays, his friendship, his good humour and his great kindness to Vera and I when Annie and he visited Vera in the Rock Hospital, where all our children were born. Frank was a big man in every sense of the word - big hearted, generous and kind. I was privileged to have been a lifelong friend. Fear Mor uasal, caoin, carthannach, gealgaireach - comradai dilis. Ni bheidh do letheid aris ann. We offer our sincere sympathy to his wife Claire and his grieving family. Do Chara, Eanna Mac Cuinneagain. Courtesy of the Donegal Democrat 5 July 2007 Tweet

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