OUR BOYS- YOUR BOYS-THEIR BOYS-ALL BOYS "Plenty of room for dives and dens Glamour Glitter and sin Plenty of room for prison pens To gather the criminals in But never a place for the lads to race Never a place to play Give them a chance of innocent sport Give them a chance of fun Better a playground now Than a court and jail When the harm is done Give them a chance If you skimp then now Tomorrow you will have to pay A larger bill for a graver ill Give them a chance to play." Pat Stakelum, who had a great repertoire of recitations and stories, quoted the above verse on many occasions with particular emphasis on the final sentence "Give them a chance to play". He was a lover of hurling which he described as the best game in the world, and knew that the skills of the game were best learned in your youth. He also had the vision to know that, whether you were good or bad at the game, the involvement in games was of immense benefit in the learning curve of youth; in how to cope with the rough and tumble; victory and defeat; and the subsequent ups and downs of da to day living of the particapators. In a recent interview, Mayo born Sinn Fein Assembly Member and Minister for Education, Caitriona Ruane, a former junior Wimbledon tennis competitor, said "what sport has thought me is to hang in when times is tough." She is now providing funding for the coaching of various games at Primary School level "to teach kids how to move and run so they have that sense of confidence at an early age." Due to his passion for the GAA games, and in particular hurling, Pat Stakelum identified with others , the need for the juvenile club Durlas Og, of which he was a founding member in 1979 and of which he was President from commencement until his recent death. At the outset, Durlas Og, had the very generous use of the Christian brother's school yards and playing fields where the club flourished. Pat, however, being a true farmer's son, had the yearning for the club to own "a little bit of land" and various options were discussed and examined over the years. When the present grounds came up for sale in 1985, a few members were instructed to view the lands on offer. i can still picture Pat standing in the middle of the field, with a very broad smile, saying "This is the dream- go for it." Pat exuded such passion and enthusiasm that it was easy for the Durlas Og members to undertake the task of purchasing the present grounds, for what was then, a huge sum of 31,000 pounds plus costs. Such was Pat's posture in the community; the recognisation of his love and commitment to the game; and his reputation as a former County Secretary and Selector ; that initially, people loaned monies to the Club for the purchase of the grounds. Interest free loans were received from Clergy, Religious, Club Members and the Public, two-thirds of the cost being received from three individuals. The only security on offer was Pat Stakelum (Body, Soul and Dreams) and without a red cent of their own, the club undertook, with gusto, under pat's guidance and enthusiasm, the mammoth task of fundraising. It was a pleasure to experience the sincerity and generosity of the public response. pat ensured from the Central Council GAA Delegates, Michael Frawley and in particular his Holycross Ballycahill club and county hurling colleague John Doyle, that Durlas Og qualified for an Urban/City Grant. having paid off the generous loans, the next item on Pat's agenda was a clubhouse. The temporary use of an adjacent CIE house beckoned and Pat arranged to meet some of the top brass of Coras Iompar Eireann. We were turned out in our Sunday best, with our then Chaplain, Very Rev. Fr John J. O'Rourke, ADM, and our late treasurer, Phil O Mara in his seargent's uniform, with buttons and boots shining! Alas, we failed to impress and Pat's gentle and skilful powers of persuasion failed on this occasion, after which the club proceeded with plans for a new Clubhouse. Pat then used his political skills and his friend, Michael O Kennedy, Minister for Agriculture, with a gentle poush from Larry O Connor (our Kerry member who made certain that football was high on Pat's agenda) ensured thatDurlas Og became the first GAA club in Irelanmd to receive a National Lottery Grant. I learned on the night of the announcement of this generous grant that the 25,000 pounds was obtained by trading extra Headage Grants, of a similar amount, for the West of Ireland with then Minister for the Environment, Padraig Flynn! Nancy and his family were Pat's first love and the sad passing of one of nature's gentleman has left a huge void in their lives. His second love was Durlas Og. He attended every meeting of the club, where possible, and accompanied by his good friend Mick Carroll, Pat looked forward to his Saturday morning visits to encourage, not alone the young participants from age six upwards, but also the decicated parents, club members and volunteers. Pat was a great Ambassador not alone for Durlas Og but for hurling and football in general. Without preparation you could call on him, on any occasion, to say a few words which were delivered with great aplomb. His last public speech was exceptional and was delivered at a reunion of the Tipperary 1949/50/51 three in a row teams of which he was captain in 1949 at the young age of twenty-two. His death has left a big vacuum in the club and his shoes will be very hard to fill. He has left behind to the boys of Thurles Parish, a legacy of the Durlas Og grounds and facilities which, in monetary terms, are presently worth several million euro but who can value his dream "Give them a chance to play." In his hurling days Pat, as a legendary hurling centre half-back, made small boys out of big men. In his Durlas Og days he made big men out of small boys. Suaimhneas siorai da hanam. MGS - Courtesy of the Tipperary Star 31st May 2008 Tweet

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