Ryall, Tom
January 11, 2001
John Know of the Kilkenny People remembers his good friend, the late Tom Ryall.
There are deaths that touch you more than others!
The time your parents die is, of course, the most painful. When God calls any other family member, close friend or young person to him, there is always a deep feeling of loss.
For me, the eternity that death can appear to be, is always the most chilling thought.
Our religion tells us about the beautiful life that lies beyond, yet, the hurtful parting always cuts deep and draws tears.
I can still hear the voice from 22 years ago ringing across the packed arrivals area in Dublin airport. I had been away travelling. A garbled message had got through that people had been looking for me, something about my father.
The voice of my sister Mary confirmed my worst fears. My father was dead.
Years later my mother died of a heart attack in my arms, with my second sister, Geraldine by my side. You never forget these things.
Death hurts
Death still hurts, even if there is some consolation in the beautifully shaped word of Donne's defiant poem, Death be not Proud. He wrote about a triumph over death.
"One short sleep past, we wake eternally.
And death shall be no more: Death, thou shalt die!"
Yet, there is always pain at the parting.
One can still remember vividly the day I was told Paddy Grace died. A wonderful man, great character.
He was secretary of the Co. Board for over 26 years, and was a dear, dear friend. There were times when he was like a dad to me.
An early Sunday morning 'phone call brought the tragic news that Ollie Walsh had passed away. Ollie was more than a hurling hero.
He was a neighbour, a friend who always looked after the 'boy next door' even when that boy had grown into a man.
An early phone call last Thursday morning, 21 December, 2000, detailed another piece of bad news that will remain etched in the memory. Tom Ryall, gentleman, friend, and all round nice guy, had died.
Darn lucky
I cannot recall the first day I came in contact with Tom Ryall. But it was a darn lucky one for me.
He was my walking GAA encyclopedia, the one I depended on for facts, figures, details.
Dial 33155 for information Tom Ryall at his work place in Avonmore Creameries. "Hi, Tom could you tell me who, what, when, where, how ..."
No better man! Tom never let me down, and by extension, the 'People and its readers.
If he wasn't 100% sure of any fact, he would check it out in double quick time. Generally, he had the answer to every query there and then.
The man's powers of retention never ceased to amaze. GAA facts and figures, about local and national issues, didn't make the slightest difference.
Tom had the answers. He was a brilliant contact!
He didn't only know about the players and their achievements, he knew their lineage as well.
If someone had a brother or sister, aunt, uncle or 41st cousin who did something in the greater GAA world, Tom knew about it. Amazing! It was truly amazing!
Great judge
Beyond his knowledge of the records, Tom Ryall was a great judge of a hurler. He knew the game, how it should be played, and what it took to be successful at it at the highest level.
If Tom Ryall said a guy was good, or a camogie player was good, you could take it the guy or gal was good!
I visited him in St. Vincent's hospital, Dublin , a week before he died. We had a wonderful chat. He was weak. He had lost an awful lot of weight. He hadn't been able to sleep for close on a fortnight.
Yet, his mind was still as sharp as a needle. He spoke lovingly about Graigue-Ballycallan and their victories in the Kilkenny and Leinster club championships.
Illness - he had two major heart operations this year - had prevented him from seeing either game. But he lived every precious moment of them through the eyes, ears and summaries of others.
Kilkenny's All-Ireland win delighted too. The manner of the achievement, with skill and craft to the fore, pleased him no end. Likewise, DJ's flaking of the ghosts of finals past.
He spoke too about the competition for the All Stars super stars tema being run by the Irish Independent and Eircell.
Good enough
By Tom's reckoning, Kilkenny should have five players on that team ... Skehan, Larkin, Ger Henderson, Cummins and Carey.
That's good enough for me.
Typical of Tom, though. You see, he loved the GAA and everything about it. And he was wholly committed. He admired commitment.
On the occasions he would visit the newsroom in the 'People he would always inquire of my colleague, Jim Rhatigan about things at Kilkenny City. He knew Jim was as committed to soccer and he was to the GAA.
He knew all about, and respected, commitment.
Tom was the author of the definitive history of the GAA in this county Kilkenny: The GAA Story 1884-1984 is a masterpiece of accuracy.
In co-operation with local school teacher, Gerry O'Neill he updated the records this year in the fine production The Kilkenny GAA Bible.
An interesting off-shoot from the research on his first book is the format for the GAA results and fixtures lists carried in the 'People each week.
Tom had to dig through piles and piles of files, and even into local notes, to find the results of some games for the GAA story.
A Star
He vowed the next man writing the history would not have the same problem. It was Tom who brought the idea to us about how to lay out the fixtures and results.
Other counties have since followed suit.
To us at the 'People he was a star. Virtually every week he was a major contributor to the GAA pages. Often he covered three, maybe four games a weekend.
As PRO for club and Co. Board he was priceless, efficient, dependable, honourable.
Just ask the countless number of outfits who sought his help when writing club histories. He never said "no". He regularly worked into the small hours doing voluntary work for others.
Tom's accuracy you took for granted. His honesty and fair minded attitude was written across every report. He always made mention of every player, subs and all, who participated in games.
Tom Ryall was a nice man, a proud Kilkenny man in the broadest sense of the word. The Ryall household has lost a wonderful husband and father, the GAA and the 'People a great friend.
Thanks Tom, I won't ever forget!
Courtesy of Kilkenny People
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