TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE OF JOHN O'FARRELL 1964 - 2025

 

 

Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club, and not for the first time alas in this year of 2025, is once again in mourning, as a consequence of the death of John O'Farrell, who died at his residence in Drumcree on Tuesday April 8th, following an illness, which John bore with both dignity and fortitude in a stoic manner. While John's situation as regards his status of health was not a secret, his death at a relatively young age is nevertheless a cause of profound sadness and regret.

 

John's interest in Hurling at a young age would undoubtedly have come from previous generations of O'Farrell's and his maternal grandfather James Bruton. 

In the very early years of the 20th century, John's paternal grandfather, a gentleman named Tom O'Farrell, won with Rickardstown Parnells, Westmeath Junior Gaelic Football and Junior Hurling Championship titles in 1915 and 1916 respectively. 

 

Another generation of O'Farrells played important roles in the winning by Rickardstown Hurling Club, prior to that club's demise in 1968, due to a lack of players, the Winning of Westmeath SHC titles in 1954, 1959 and 1963, JHC titles in 1944 and 1950, Feis Cup titles in 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957 and 1958, and a SH League title in 1957. John's maternal grandfather, the aforementioned James Bruton, was a member of the Ringtown HC teams that won Westmeath SHC titles in 1915, 1916 and 1917.

 

As a player of the sport of Hurling, John won 48 years ago in 1977 a U14 Hurling Club Hurling Championship medal. In the following year, 1978, John won a U16 HC medal, while a Minor Hurling League medal was won in 1980. His performances as a player of the sport of Hurling at Club level did not go without notice, as he wore the Westmeath colours in the U18 (Minor) category in 1982. In that same year of 1982, John captained Lough Lene Gaels to the semi finals phase of that year's U18 (Minor) HC, at which point a Michael Doyle inspired Raharney defeated LLG 1.09 to 1.06 at Delvin. 

 

For the GAA Centenary year of 1984, he Co wrote and edited a straightforward typed booklet covering the then at that moment in time, the 15 years of existence of Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club following its founding in 1969. 25 years later in 2009, alongside Damien Conaty, John played a important role in compiling and editing articles in the production of a booklet that marked the then 40 years of existence of Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club. Furthermore, John served as the PRO of Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club for many years, keeping the reading public informed of club matters in a diligent and professional manner, prior to the writer of this article taking up that same duty in succession to John.

 

In 1985, just as he was making a positive mark as a player of the sport of Hurling in adult grades, John had a major health setback from which recovery while positive, was not always straightforward and easily achieved. Never the less, John did fully recover, and was a better person for that same full recovery!

 

While continuing to serve Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club in a playing capacity towards the end of the 1980s, John although aged only in his early 20s, began to take an interest and involvement more and more in the coaching of the club's juvenile and underage players. He worked alongside many good and like minded people in that capacity, in particular the then Club Chairman Noel Conaty, and Bernard (Bernie) Conaty, carrying out the same good duties of coaching that was previously carried out by Jimmy Weldon (Jnr) and Sean O'Boyle among others in the late 1970s/early 1980s. Noel, Bernard and John were later destined to bestowed with a "The Three Wise Men" title.

 

 

In 1989, with the guidance of Noel, Bernard and John, Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club won the Westmeath U14 treble of, Division 1 Hurling Championship, Hurling league and Feile na nGael Hurling competition. As the Westmeath representatives, Lough Lene Gaels qualified for the semi finals phase of the National Feile na nGael Division 2 Hurling competition, jointed hosted by Laois and Offaly. Lough Lene Gaels lost to Ballygalget of Down in a semi final fixture of that competition. It must be also noted that Richard (Richie) Duffy (1970 - 1995) was of valuable assistance to that talented panel of players in a coaching capacity.

 

Early in 1990 John emigrated to Australia, where he spent a year working and coming to understand life and living in that country. In the time he spent in Australia, John kept in touch with how Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club was progressing across various club competitions during the 1990 playing season. Prior to leaving for Australia, John and the writer of this article dined at a premises in Delvin on a sunny February Sunday afternoon, a premises which no longer exists. Both John and myself, along with everyone else on the premises, had our collective attention taken by the live television coverage of the release from a prison in South Africa on that same day of a person named Nelson Mandela!

 

On his return to this country in early 1991, John again played an important role in the coaching of the rudimentary and very important skills of Hurling, alongside Noel and Bernard, to the younger players of Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club. All three gentleman always were sincerely adamant that those young players were already capable of playing Hurling to a high standard, regardless of their excellent coaching input. However Noel, Bernard and John always ensured that participation by young players in the sport of Hurling was to be also enjoyed, and looked forward to, and not endured with a sense of foreboding!

 

Under the astute guidance, wisdom, thought and coaching philosophy of Noel, Bernard and John, Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club achieved successes, but not exclusively in the underage and juvenile Hurling competitions as listed hereafter:

Westmeath Division 1 Minor Hurling Championships (5): 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997

Westmeath Division 1 U16 Hurling Championships (2): 1991, 1995

Westmeath Division 1 U14 Hurling Championship (1): 1993

Westmeath Division 2 U14 Hurling Championship (1): 1996

Westmeath Division 2 U12 Hurling Championships (2): 1996, 1997

Westmeath Feile na nGael Hurling Competition (1): 1993

Westmeath Feile na nGael Hurling Sheild Competition (1): 1997

Leinster Division 3 Minor Hurling League (1): 1997

Leinster Minor Hurling League One Day "Blitz" category Competition (1): 1996.

 

Many of the players associated with those successes, went on to play important playing roles in the winning by Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club of Westmeath SHC (A) titles in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002.

 

In mid June 1996, Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club participated in a Leinster GAA Council organised Feile na nGael Hurling event, which took place in Kilkenny. Lough Lene Gaels were hosted by Windgap Hurling Club, the club of Kilkenny Hurling greats Kieran Purcell and Pat Walsh. A throughly memorable warm and sunny weekend was completed with a stop en route home at Supermacs in Tullamore, where the travelling party watched on television, Ciaran Carey of Limerick scoring a super match winning point v defending All Ireland SH Champions Clare in a Munster SH Championship match. John's enthusiasm for all facets of the sport of Hurling, was a memorable aspect of that same weekend!

The driver of the mode of transport that brought Lough Lene Gaels to Kilkenny, and safely back to Westmeath, was none other than Clonkill Hurling Club personality Patrick (Pat) Slevin. 

Remarkable as it may seem, for the course of that weekend at least, John worked his diplomatic skill successfully in a Hurling context and converted the said Mr Slevin to a supporter of Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club for the duration of that particular weekend!!!!

 

John, along with both Noel and Bernard stepped down from coaching duties at the end of the 1997 playing season on behalf of Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club as a trio. Both Noel and John, who both did later return to coaching  with Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club on a later occasion, in the meantime then subsequently took up coaching duties for and on behalf of Meath's Moylagh Hurling Club, alongside former Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club playing great Matty Nolan, Paul Foley, and others dedicated to putting the sport of Hurling in Moylagh on a secure foundation.

Such was the influence of John and Noel that Moylagh sensationally, and against pre match exceptations defeated Kilmessan in a Meath U16 Division 2 Hurling Championship final, a great achievement. 

It was good coaching and preparation of a talented squad of Moylagh Hurling Club U16 players for the playing of that fixture that brought about that marvellous success, with John playing an important role.

 

Away from playing and coaching duties, John also assisted in a very important, and yet modest manner with the running of the former Tuesday night Bingo at Collinstown Hall, a source of income for Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club until the coming of the shutdown in March 2020 brought about by the then Irish Government as a reaction to the then Covid 19 situation. Tuesday night Bungo severed subsequently resumed when restrictions were ended.

 

John was also a supporter of the English football club Queens Park Rangers FC, and would discuss on a regular basis with the author of this article, a Lutonian, the respective fortunes, or more to the point, a lack of same, of Queens Park Rangers FC and Luton Town FC. Both of us agreed that neither club is ever very likely to contest a European Champions league final!!!

 

The large number of numbers of members of the public from across the full spectrum of society,  who paid their respects at Killucan's St Camillus Nursing Centre Chapel, and later at Collinstown's St Mary's church on Thursday April 10th, and again at St Mary's church on Friday April 11th, was a true measure of the affection, admiration and respect in which John was specially, and the O'Farrell family in general. Following the conclusion of John's Funeral Mass, a private cremation followed.

 

Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club, along with Lough Lene Gaels Camogie Club, organised and had in place guards of honour, which both escorted the Cortege in the concluding phase of its journey on Thursday evening April 10th, and again in situ at St Mary's church Collinstown on Friday April 11th.

 

Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club extends its very sincere condolences to John's brothers Tom, Jimmy, Gerry, Vincent, Francis and Oliver, sisters Mary, Angela, Deirdre, Paula, Anne, Therese, Valerie and Dolores; brothers in law, sisters in law, nephews, nieces, grandnephews uncles, aunts, other relations, extended family members, neighbours and friends.

 

Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club mourns with profound and sincere grief and sadness, the death of John O'Farrell, but is also humbled and so thankful that such a self effacing person and unassuming gentleman made such a marvellous positive, telling and generous contribution, not just to Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club, but the locality into which he was born and grew up in, a glorious indelible contribution that will definitely never fade during the years that are yet to come!

 

John was predeceased by his parents, Elizabeth (Lila), nee Bruton, and Colm, in 1995 and 2000 respectively.

 

JOHN O'FARRELL 

 

BORN: APRIL 12TH 1964

DIED: APRIL 8TH 2025

 

LOUGH LENE GAELS HURLING CLUB 

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