The late Ollie Daly - a tribute from Ferbane GAA

Attempting to capture the immense contribution of Ollie Daly to the sporting life of Offaly is possibly a futile exercise. Ollie was a proud Ballycumber native, whose contribution - on and off the field – to his birthplace is best articulated by his many friends in that locality.

Likewise, his successful input into the footballing fortunes of the clubs he managed, most notably those in west Offaly from Clara and Durrow to Doon and St Rynagh’s, created an impact best described by those who felt it most.

His contribution to his county was not confined to the boardroom, where he attained the highest office as Offaly GAA chairman, nor even to his successful involvement in management of county teams but to an infectious support of all things Offaly, that took him to New York and London to support his fellow Faithful supporters and share the common bond that his county engendered.

Ollie spent most of his adult life, not only as a resident of Ferbane, but as an active citizen of the community. He immersed himself in the local community and found, not for the first nor last time, in the GAA a means of contributing to the well-being of the community’s young people.

He cared immensely too about the recreational needs of adults and senior citizens in the locality and he set up a successful card group at Ferbane GAA centre, a morning walking group and he advocated for facilities for senior citizens at Ferbane GAA gym.

He was a club – and indeed county – chairman who took great pride in accurately describing himself as a “players' man” and the esteem in which players held Ollie was an illustration of their appreciation of his efforts on their behalf. His player-centred approach served him and them extremely well.

That style was consistent throughout his GAA life, other than when Ollie forgot himself after a hard training session and threw himself with abandon, still on a frosty training pitch with steam rising from players and manager alike, into one of his epic motivational monologues that may have gained greater appreciation in a championship dressing room.

His popularity was widespread and the vast number of people who, for the past few months, have come to the mobile lotto ticket booth – that ingenious contraption that Ollie invented, now replicated throughout the land – to enquire after his health has been astounding.

Part of his immense likeability was his disarming honesty, rarely tethered by political correctness. His venture into local politics led to his immortal line - “All I know is there are about 1,200 liars in west Offaly”. Ollie Daly would not promise you anything – including a vote – unless he would deliver. And he promised much to many!

He never confined his support to the activities under his stewardship and he was an avid Naomh Ciarán supporter, whose pride in their provincial and national achievements was evident and whose presence at their games was consistent, regardless of location or status.

Ollie Daly’s contribution to the community and sporting life of Ferbane has left an indelible, positive impact on all who experienced it.

His genuinely pleasant personality and seemingly happy-go-lucky outlook belied a fiercely determined and principled man, whose opinions were of his own making and formed the basis for actions, for which he was prepared to take responsibility. But his self-deprecating manner endeared him to all who knew him; the ability to be serious without taking himself too seriously was an asset he possessed in abundance.

His pride in his communities and his GAA teams was only overshadowed by the enormity of his pride in his three sons, Gary, Paul and Ronan and their families. Their loss and that of his partner Bridget is enormous.

Ferbane GAA offers sincerest sympathies to them and to Ollie’s brothers Chris and Brendan, sisters Marie, Carmel, Patricia and Nuala, extended relatives and a very, very wide circle of friends. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam.