County mourns unexpected death of 'Ducky' Ormonde

He would have graced any team-club or county-in any era. That's how good Lismore's Michael "Ducky" Ormonde was in his hurling hey day and as the county at large is still trying to come to terms with the unexpectedness of his death the many tributes that have poured in from literally every quarter have been as generous as they have been ever so richly deserved.

"Ducky", as he was known the length and breath of our county and beyond, was just weeks short of his 60th birthday, and was in the proverbial picture of health when fate delivered him and his family the most cruel of blows. Without warning of any kind he was taken ill while using his exercise bicycle in his own home last Wednesday night and tragically the seizure he suffered proved to be fatal literally within minutes of him suffering it. In veritable jig time the life had been drained out of the most charismatic, the most gentlemanly and the most kind and caring human being you would ever want to meet or to know. When news of his unexpected and indeed his untimely death eked out it was received with a painstaking sense of shock and disbelief more palpable than in his home town where he was such a respected and revered figure.

Despite all of his years of involvement with the Waterford senior team on which he was a deadly lethal forward, all of the major honours-championship and league-eluded him. So too did his dream of featuring in a senior county final, although with his brothers Ritchie and Billy he did win county intermediate championship honours in 1969. He also won Sargent Cup and Keaneland Cup tournament honours, but strangely enough his only other championship winning medal was as a member of the Tourin team that won the county junior football final in 1971 with victory over Ferrybank. His funeral Mass last Sunday was attended by an overflow congregation and the Lismore club certainly did him proud as his cortege, draped in the black and amber colours, wended its way afterwards to St Carthage's cemetery where he was finally laid to rest. Among the vast concourse were many former and present county hurling colleagues, while Lismore club members bedecked in the official club gear lined the route. A beautiful graveside oration was delivered by former Munster Council chairman and of course fellow Lismore clubman Jimmy O'Gorman.

He described "Ducky" as one of the great Waterford players of his time and a man who would have commanded an automatic place on any team, club or county, in the country in his prime. The former provincial chairman also recalled some of the titanic duels "Ducky" had with several of the great defenders of that time including Cork's John Horgan and Limerick's Jim O'Brien. It is difficult to come to terms with his untimely death and now more than ever I will value the years and decades of friendship that I enjoyed with him. They came no finer and no more honourable that Michael "Ducky" Ormonde and to his wife Margaret, his daughter Enda, his sons Michael, Martin and Sean, his brothers Ritchie and Billy and all of his many other relatives and countless friends the heartfelt sympathy of both the column and columnist is extended. Go ndeine Dia trocaire ar anam dílis.

(Text courtesy of Waterford News & Star 14/08/12) Tweet

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