Death of a Renowned GAA Historian

The death has taken place of John Clarke, a renowned GAA historian and archivist who has done much to preserve the history of Gaelic games in both Offaly and nationally.
A native of Convent View, Tullamore, John Clarke died at his residence at Clonminch Avenue, Tullamore on Friday after a lengthy battle with illness.
An occasionally controversial figure, John Clarke was well known nationally for his work as a GAA historian and for years, he was involved in compiling facts and statistics for programmes for big games at national level.
Locally, he was also very well known for his work as a historian and a GAA correspondent with local papers, during a time when Offaly were very successful in football and hurling.
A curvature of the spine, which was diagnosed in his teens, meant that he couldn't play football or hurling but John Clarke soon channelled his love of our national games in other directions. In 1939, he began to keep a scrapbook on GAA matters and this was the start of one of his great passions in life as he began to compile facts and statistics on all aspects of the GAA.
While he initially had a shop in Harbour Street and later worked in Salts Ireland as an overseer, he also wrote and contributed to publications from a young age. He was involved in the Midland Entertainment Guide in the 1940s, writing on GAA, movies and social life in the midlands.
He was the GAA correspondent of the Midland and Tullamore Tribune for many years and later compiled a widely read and very popular serialisation of the history of Offaly GAA and Tullamore GAA in the Offaly Express.
He wrote a history of Tullamore GAA Club, the Glorious One Hundred and contributed to several other publications down the years, most memorably to the late Raymond Smith's Handbook of Gaelic Games - An invaluable book of GAA statistics that has solved many an argument and debate.
John Clarke was a very helpful and obliging man - He was always willing to help out individuals or clubs when they were carrying out research or producing programmes for openings or histories. Personally he gave me great assistance any time I rang him seeking information about GAA history or individuals and when I produced programmes for the official opening of Ballinagar GAA pitch in 1993 and for the opening of Erin Rovers GAA grounds in Pullough in 1995.
John Clarke could also be a controversial figure. He was a very traditional GAA man, he was very set in his views and he was vehemently opposed to many of the changes to long standing GAA rules - Changes which many saw as progress and moving with the times but which John Clarke resisted and felt were a dilution of what he saw as the GAA's core values.
His views were sincerely held and he was always able to put forward a coherent argument for his stance, whether in conversation or by writing to local and national papers - He was always less than impressed on the few occasions when his letters were not published.
He loved nothing better than a good debate - In 1991, he enjoyed a memorable exchange of views about merits of Ireland's qualification for the World Cup with the then chairman of Offaly County Council, the late Eddie Joe Dooley in correspondence to the Tribune. Needless to say, John Clarke did not welcome Ireland's emergence onto the world soccer stage.
In recent years, he enjoyed a vigorous exchange of views with this reporter over the process that led to Croke Park being opened to the so called "foreign games", soccer and rugby. Again John Clarke was opposed to the mood of change but again he was able to provide a compelling argument for this view point, even though many people disagreed with him. He was also opposed to lifting the ban on members of the UK security forces playing football and hurling.
Back in 1971, he was adamantly opposed to the rule change which lifted the ban on GAA member's playing soccer and rugby. He was dismayed when Tullamore GAA Club voted in favour of removing the ban and this led to a heated exchange of views with officers, that saw John Clarke suspended from the club. This remained a bone of contention for him and even though the door was later opened for him to resume life in club activity, he didn't renew his membership.
Throughout his life he argued that there were too many field games in Ireland and that all efforts should be channelled into promoting and excelling at gaelic games. The basis of his argument was that a country with the population of Ireland just couldn't promote and prosper in four major field games - Football, hurling, soccer and rugby and he availed of every opportunity to assert his views on this topic. Most memorably, he used to delight in describing soccer and rugby as Ireland's "superfluous games".
He was a popular man about town and was familiar figure going around on his bicycle while he loved nothing better than a good conversation with a keen edge of debate.
He also possessed a lively and witty sense of humour and leaves behind a very valuable legacy to the GAA.
Sincere sympathy is extended to his wife, Ann; daughter Vivenne, son, Alan and granddaughter, Jenna on their sad loss. May he rest in peace.

Courtesy of the Midland Tribune
15th October, 2009 Tweet

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