Cork hurling pays tribute to Ó Tuama, the man who defined the spirit of the Glen

LIAM Ó Tuama, who passed away this week, has been described as a true Glen Rovers stalwart by club secretary Jude O’Callaghan.

Mr Ó Tuama was a player, mentor, administrator and author with the Northside club, penning and compiling 'The Spirit Of the Glen' back in 1973, a publication that put into words what the famed Blackpool club stands for.

“Liam was a stalwart of the Glen, a true, true Glen man. Everything in his life, apart from his wonderful family was Glen," O’Callaghan told the Echo.

“He cherished all things Glen Rovers, he wrote and compiled the Spirit of the Glen in 1973 and he was a very close, personal friend of Jack Lynch.

“He held many positions in our club, he was secretary, chairman, county board delegate for many years and he was responsible and played a leading role in various club developments. He set very high standards in everything that he did and he maintained them throughout his life."

Ó Tuama won county medals in junior and intermediate and afterwards became a selector on various Glen teams.

“He won a county junior medal in 1950 an intermediate county in ‘54 and was on the three-in-a-row team that won the intermediate county in 1956, ‘57 and ‘58," said O'Callaghan.

“He was a selector with Cork when they won the All-Ireland in 1990, he was nominated by the club after the Glen won the county the previous year for the first time since 1976. He will be missed by everybody in our club."

Ó Tuama also penned a book on Jack Lynch back in 2000, titled ‘Where he Sported and Played’ and it was another hugely successful publication that won acclaim throughout the country.

As a county board delegate, he represented the club with great distinction, always getting the best that he could for the Glen and its sister club St Nicholas. He also penned the history of St Nick’s back in 1993, which proved to be another very popular publication. 

Glen and St Nick’s club man Finbarr McCarthy has fond memories of Ó Tuama as well.

“There’s so much good you could say about Liam, so many great stories that could be told.

“He was a great family man first and foremost but an equally great Glen man and St Nick’s too. He was very forthright in his viewpoints and at county board level he served the club with great distinction.

“The club have certainly lost one of its great servants."

Reception prayers take place from Friday morning at 11.15am in the Church of the Real Presence, Curraheen Road followed by the requiem mass at 12pm and the funeral afterward to St Oliver’s Cemetery, Model Farm Road.