Barry O'Mahony on joining The Echo: Proud to be taking over my grandfather’s sportswriting mantle

WHEN my grandfather Tim Sheehan passed away in September 2002, a void was left in the family. 

My grandad was a GAA reporter for various newspapers including The Corkman, The Kerryman and The Southern Star spanning four decades. 

He lived in the Model Village in Dripsey with his wife, Mary. Grandad always wanted one of his six children, which included my mother, to keep the family flag flying whenever he decided to hang up the pen. 

By the time grandad passed away none of his children had any interest in going down the journalism route.

I was five when grandad died. I can remember visiting my grandmother in Dripsey with mom, looking at reports grandad wrote and in awe of them all. 

From that point on I knew what I wanted to do. I was barely walking and I was going to GAA games following my local club Éire Óg.

When I was around nine years of age I started to bring a notebook to games and took down the scores. 

As time went on, I did reports on matches just for my own personal benefit until a good family friend, Eileen O’Connor, a five-time All-Ireland winner with the Cork camogie team, recommended to me one day to send reports on to her. 

Eileen’s tireless work in helping me was hugely valuable. I then got in contact with the Muskerry GAA board in 2012 and for two years supplied match reports from many games involving Mid-Cork teams for their website. I would like to thank William Buckley once again who was involved with the website at the time.

DREAM

It was my dream from a young age to write for The Echo, since the days of visiting my grandmother in Dripsey. 

Every time I would call, I would take the short walk to O’Callaghan’s shop and buy two Echo’s. One for the grandmother and I would take the other paper home to Ovens and just be fascinated by local sport.

More in hope than expectation, I emailed John McHale, the sports editor of this paper in July 2014. 

The response was quick and positive. I started supplying weekly articles with my first piece in the paper a full-page interview with then Cork minor football captain Kevin Flahive. 

I covered my first game for the paper on Wednesday, July 8, 2015. Ballincollig and Éire Óg in round three of the Premier 2 MHC in the Mardyke. It was a typical local derby, full of blood and thunder. Daniel Murphy was the hero when he sent over an injury-time point to win the game for the Collig on a scoreline of 0-15 to 2-8.

I took a temporary break from writing during Covid-19 for personal reasons. 

The late Paudie Palmer was a great mentor to me over the years especially during those dark days of the pandemic. 

In early June, an advertisement appeared for the role of a full-time sports reporter with The Echo. 

I was lucky enough to be the one chosen and carry on the incredible work done by Mark Woods. It’s an absolute privilege to be in this new position.

Travelling around Ireland reporting on the Cork footballers will be a pinch-me moment next year. 

The Echo sports department has always been so supportive and since it was my first gig, it’s something I hold with deep affection, beyond proud to now officially be part of the team. 

I am delighted to keep the family flag flying. I hope my grandfather is smiling down from above.