*Paddy McDonnell.
PADDY MCDONNELL, one of Clare GAA’s greatest supporters and most active volunteers has died.
A driving force of the GAA in Kilkee, Paddy died suddenly on Sunday on his way back to his car having attended the Clare SFC final between Cratloe and St Breckan’s in Cusack Park.
As a spokesperson for St Senan’s Kilkee GAA club noted, “For a man who dedicated his life to sport in Clare, he wouldn’t have wanted to go any other way”.
When it comes to Clare GAA’s most loyal supporters, Paddy was certainly among them, he travelled to games across the country be it hurling or football.
As a keen sportsman, Paddy gave most of his life to GAA, and sport in general. He played football for St. Senan’s Kilkee as a young man whilst also serving as a committee member in the club in his younger years. He also played basketball for Kilkee.
West Clare may be traditionally viewed as more football than hurling territory but Paddy was an instrumental force in Kilkee/Bealaha hurling club, remaining a driving force in the club from when it contested the national Féile na nGael hurling final in 1987 right until the present day serving as the club’s President. He previously flagged that hurling in Kilkee goes all the way back to 1830.
Supporters in saffron and blue would often spot Paddy at games but his voice was well known to GAA followers across the county. For many years, he was a sports reporter for Clare FM up until 2014. He was also a regular contributor to The Clare County Express, providing notes from Kilkee and West Clare. Paddy was also ever-available to assist Raidió Corca Baiscinn with their sports output, appearing as a regular guest while also featuring in a 2010 documentary looking back on the Kilkee Strand Races.
In 2009, Paddy was part of a group of five Kilkee men who were involved in the publication of ‘Kilkee, A Sporting Odyssey’ which chronicled the history of the GAA and other sports in the coastal West Clare town. Ger Keane, Jimmy Fitzpatrick, Paul Costelloe (RIP) and Patrick Keane formed the committee alongside McDonnell.
Paddy’s deep knowledge was one of the biggest sources of material for the book and this will serve as one of his biggest legacies in the club.
