Cork GAA mourns passing of club greats from Cloyne, Killeagh and St Nick's

THE GAA in Cork are this week mourning the passing of Cloyne’s Paddy Ring. 

A nephew of the great Christy and himself a very accomplished hurler who wore the red of Cork, his club Cloyne in East Cork, Imokilly, and subsequently Glen Rovers.

He was a very successful minor and U21 star with Cork.

He landed an All-Ireland minor medal in 1967 and two All-Ireland U21 medals in 1968 and 1970. He was still a minor in that year of 1968, a rare feat in Rebel county.

He won a Cork intermediate medal with Cloyne in 1970 and prior to that featured prominently for Imokilly, again when still 18. The East Cork division reached the Cork County senior final in 1968, losing to the Barrs.

He subsequently transferred to the Glen, following in the footsteps of his very illustrious uncle.

He played in a senior county final with the famed Blackpool club in 1980 when they lost to the Barrs and was Paddy was regarded as a very talented player during his career.

His father was the late Willie John, a player and coach of great distinction with Cloyne while his brother is Willie, a former very dedicated secretary of the East Cork Board for a lengthy period.

He has also held a number of positions on the Cork County Board and to this day maintains the great tradition the family had with the GAA on Leeside.

Meanwhile, the Killeagh club in East Cork was also in mourning at the passing over the weekend of one of its greatest servants, Dick Doocey.

Doocey won a Waterford County medal with Tourin in Waterford before taking up residence in Killeagh where was player-coach of the club when they won the East Cork JHC for the first time in 1967.

He was very prominent in the club during the purchase of their now magnificent complex and held various administrative positions in the club down the years.

He also refereed and was vice-chairman of the East Cork Board back in the ‘80s.

He was a very visible presence in all of Killeagh’s great triumphs during their elevation to senior ranks and a club spokesperson told the Echo today that they had lost one of their greatest servants.

The passing of the well-known club men, alongside the death of Denis Owens last weekend, the president of St Nick’s and a great club man in Blackpool makes it a very sad few days for the GAA family in the county.

Owens was also a former Fianna Fáil councillor and highly regarded on the northside for his community and GAA work.