Shock at sudden death of former Tullamore Golf Club captain and Offaly minor footballer

THERE are deaths that shock and stun people by their unexpectedness and the sudden passing of Pat Corcoran last Friday very much fell into that category.

In his late 60s, Pat went way too soon and leaves a huge void in the lives of his family and the many people who knew, liked and admired him. He had been active until the end, attending the Tullamore Golf Club seniors' dinner on Thursday evening, where he was in great form as he conversed with other members – he even sang a song at this and enjoyed the company of friends in Tullamore later before returning home. He went for a walk on Friday but sadly passed away that morning.

A native of Leamonaghan, Ballycumber, he lived at Arden Lane in Tullamore for decades. He made an indelible contribution to his native area and adopted home and his popularity spoke volumes about his character and the type of person he was.

He was a former captain of Tullamore Golf Club, serving his term in office in 2019 while he was a very talented footballer in his youth. He showed great promise at underage level and played minor football for Offaly – he was on the Offaly minor football panel that was well beaten by Dublin in the 1971 Leinster championship in Croke Park.

That was a good team with plenty of fine footballers on it, including Mick Fitzgerald who was an outstanding corner back as Offaly won a famous All-Ireland senior football title just over a decade later in 1982. It was a golden era for Offaly football and he was a good forward but unfortunately a serious knee injury curtailed Pat's career. He missed out on his peak years though he did return to play in the 1980s – he played with Ballinamere in the middle of the decade and then returned to Ballycumber, where he finished out his football career at the end of the '80s.

He remained a very keen GAA and football fan throughout his life but golf became a big sporting passion. He played the game for years and loved his time on the course. He represented Tullamore Golf Club in various inter-club competitions over the years and also served as a manager and selector on teams.

He always took great pride in representing the club, doing his best and encouraging team mates. He got involved at adminstrative level in the club, taking on various roles and working on committees. He was handicap secretary for some years, where he was conscientious and fair.

It culminated with his nomination as mens' captain of the club for the 2019 season. It was an honour that he cherished and was proud of as he carried out his duties with great dignity and respect. He was very conscious of the size of the membership of the club, the many different opinions and personalties that existed and he ran a very steady ship, ploughing the middle ground and not afraid to make decisions but also doing his utmost to keeping everyone happy.

He had a keen interest in the promotion of junior golf and the highlight of his year in office was Tullamore retaining their Leinster and All-Ireland U-18 boys titles. He spoke with great pride about their wins at the captain's dinner to mark the end of his term in office. It was an occasion that he greatly enjoyed as he greeted members, guests and friends, and accepted the plaudits with his customary humility. The toast to the captain was proposed by David Hughes and he grinned broadly as he outlined his footballing and golfing achievements.

Pat was a very good golfer. He practicised diligently, had an excellent short game and he got down to a handicap of six at one stage. He had a great affection for Tullamore Golf Club, made great friends through the game and spent considerable time on the course and in the club house, particularly after retirement.

He worked with Bord Telecom and then Eircom for most of his working life, retiring a few years ago.

He was a personable, friendly, engaging and endearing man. He embraced retirement and golf was only one outlet. He also enjoyed cycling and walking, staying fit and active – he was a regular sight walking his dog around town and also embraced cycling a few times a week.

He was a very keen amateur photographer and regularly took pictures at events in Tullamore Golf Club – occasionally submitting them to the Tullamore/Midland Tribune for publication, taking great care to ensure they were properly captioned.

He was a meticulous man and anything he did, he did well. He enjoyed taking pictures of different scenes and won a prize in a competition. Indeed, he took pictures at the seniors' dinner in Tullamore Golf Club last Thursday evening.

While he was very much a part of life and the scene in Tullamore for decades, he remained a proud Ballycumber man. He remained a loyal supporter of Ballycumber GAA Club and he helped run and organise a golf classic for them in Esker Hills Golf Club in 2019

He was very pleasant, inoffensive, easy company. He enjoyed a social drink in pubs in Tullamore and was a great conversationalist. He had a quiet wit, a lovely droll sense of humour that really endeared him to people.

Above all, he was a devoted husband and father, he absolutely adored his granddaughter Hannah and he will be fondly remembered by all who knew him.

Predeceased by his parents Monsie and Kate, he is survived by his heartbroken family, wife Ann, daughter Frances and her partner Killian, his adored granddaughter Hannah, brothers Seamus, Kieran (USA) and Kenneth, sisters Marie (Brennan), Vonn (Mannion) and Frances (Mannion), his uncle Pat, aunts Rose and Mary, brothers in law, sisters in law, nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives and a large circle of friends.

Reposing at O'Reilly's Funeral Home, Harbour Street, Tullamore, on Tuesday from 6pm until Rosary at 8pm. Removal from his home on Wednesday morning at 9.30am to St. Colmcille's Church, Durrow, arriving for Funeral Mass at 10am. Burial after Mass in the adjoining cemetery.