On Sunday night, away from Galway and not having a clue how the GAA matches went, it was a matter of turning to Page 578 on Aertel to get the results from the county. But even at nine or ten o'clock the Galway results, for once, had not been updated. It was unusual, for the man who supplied them, and also sent them in for the Monday morning papers, was as regular as clockwork. Back on the news pages of Aertel, there was a story about a man being knocked down and killed in an accident in the early hours of Sunday morning in Limerick. Never for a moment, of course, did you think the two things were related. The absence of the results on Aertel on Sunday night and again in the Monday morning papers was but a small particle of the shock in coming to terms with the death of Norman Rochford from Gort. He was a guy who eased his way comfortably into company, whether it was GAA, rugby or business and seemed as if he had been there for years. In his mid-thirties, he appeared destined for a great future as an administrator but the fact of the matter is that he had a great stint already done, a level of achievement way out of proportion to his age. There is no doubt Norman Rochford was a member of a diminishing species of sports and business administrator, a person who did not seek high office and was more than willing to take on the heavy workload of secretary of so many organisations. In rugby, GAA and business, there is never a shortage of contenders for the glamour jobs, but you don't usually have a clamour for jobs that demand hard work. Norman Rochford was never afraid to take on such a task. His carefree manner, yet methodical work practice, meaning that he took to the job with relish. It is unusual for a figure with a high GAA position to also be so involved in rugby but Norman enjoyed his role with Corinthians RFC, where he served as club PRO among other functions, and he was always entertaining company to meet coming out of Lansdowne Road after a rugby international. He would often take in an international abroad, or maybe a Munster match, and he seemed to revel in the quite obvious contrast between rugby and the GAA. The high regard they had for him in Corinthians was apparent at his funeral this week. In business, he ran the family insurance and auctioneering firm, but even in this context was not just willing to be served, but also to serve and he was very much involved in the marketing institute, serving as regional chairman a few years ago. Like rugby, he seemed to have his own set of friends and contacts in this sector and again he revelled in the freshness of being involved in something different and something new. But it is for his contribution to the GAA that he will be best remembered. He served as secretary of both Gort and Beagh GAA clubs. He was always willing to roll up his sleeves ... when a chronic shortage of referees was disclosed he began officiating at matches and then helping to train referees. And this was at a time when he was probably younger than a lot of the players, not to mind the referees! When Feile na nGael - the All-Ireland U14 inter-county competition - came to Galway in 1992 and '93, Norman took on the onormous task of secretary. It is one of the hardest competitions to organise, not just because of the scale but because there is not the same level of assistance that might be expected at adult level. When the plaudits were being dished out at the end of two very successful years of staging it, Norman had to be pushed forward for he was never one to be racing around looking for applause. For the past ten years he has been the PRO of County Board. That has meant spending every Sunday collecting the results and sending them to RTE and the papers. Some one else will take over in due course and will carry on the task with the same diligence. Life goes on for some, but for his mother Mary, who was always such a big help to him, and his brother PJ, life will never be the same again. - courtesy of John Fallon, Connacht Tribune April 2002 Tweet

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