The Late Sean L Nolan Brother Sean L Nolan, who died in St Patrick's Nursing Home Baldoyle Dublin On Sunday October 26, was a hugely influential and respected figure in Portlaoise, where from 1955 he taught for 15 years. A native of Skerkin Island, Co. Cork he had been unwell for some time. He was 84. Multi-talented and selflessly dedicated to his pupils, Br Nolan formed the Portlaoise CBS school band, coached county-winning under-age football teams, trained and conducted the three-part boys' choir and imparted Latin to trainee altar servers. He was also an accomplished calligrapher. His great love was, perhaps the Irish language, and he established an Ogra Eireann Club to promote it among the younger generation. Meanwhile, of course he had to fulfil his teaching duties, and he did so with professionalism and competence. In the early 1960s, he supervised the transfer of the primary school to a new building at Borris Road (now St Paul's). As a football coach, Br Nolan was revered in Portlaoise and feared in Laois. He got the entire community behind CBS teams and bus loads of supporters, with colours flying, would travel to away matches. In 1958, the whole town was en fete when the CBS took the under 12 county football title - the first of three-in-a-row after a thrilling match with Ballyadams in O'Moore Park. A year earlier, the school band had won the All-Ireland trophy at Fleadgh Cheoil na hEireann in Thurles. Though a native of Co. Cork, Br Nolan was a Portlaise man by adoption and inclination and when after a decade and a half he was transferred to Ennis, his departure was much regretted. He finished his teaching career as Primary School Principal in Dingle CBS. In the 1990's, he spent some of his retirement years in Portlaoise, after which he moved to Baldoyle. Frs Tom O'Reilly and Frank Hoare, past pupils of Br Nolan, concelebrated his funeral Mass in Baldoyle on Friday (October 31). Burial took place in the Blessed Edmund Rice Cemetery. Among the attendance at the funeral were Brian Delaney and Oliver Phelan, members of the 1958 under 12 team. There, too were Br Nolan's past pupils Louise Morgan and Tommy Deevoy and his great friend Johnny O'Brien. His sister Maureen predeceased Br Nolan. Mourning him are his brother Bill, nephews and nieces, sister-in-law, relatives, brothers in religion and friends. A favourite phrase of Br Nolan when referring to the football teams he coached was , Ni bheidh ar leitheidi aris ann. Truly it can be said of him, Ni bheid a leitheidi aris ann. Courtesy of the Leinster Express November 8th 2003 Tweet

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