Valley Rovers to take on Templenoe in match to commemorate Paudie Palmer

When a young teacher from Templenoe pitched up at St Brogan’s College in Bandon in the early 1980s, nobody could have imagined the impact he would have.

At the time of his sudden death in January 2023 following a traffic collision, Paudie Palmer was a household name in Cork, due to his voice being heard in those households as he commentated on matches for C103.

And yet, had he never broadcast into the kitchens and car radios of Cork, he would have been remembered as a marvellous community man and valued member of Valley Rovers GAA Club.

A trawl of the Irish News Archive for Paudie’s name shows him kicking two points for Templenoe in a 0-7 each draw against neighbours Tuosist in November 1980; the next mention was in the spring of 1982, helping to mastermind a Cork vocational schools’ double for St Brogan’s. It would be the first of many successful involvements with teams from ‘the Tech’.

When, at the end of March 1984, Valleys held a separate juvenile club AGM for the first time, Paudie was elected to the role of honorary treasurer and he held numerous roles on committees and management teams as the Innishannon outfit became his adopted club.

Last week, a plaque in Paudie’s honour was unveiled at St Brogan’s and on Sunday, February 25 at Brinny (2pm), Valleys and Templenoe are to meet in the first of what is hoped will become an annual event.

Valleys chairperson John O’Donovan expects strong support for the event, given the person being commemorated.

“Paudie was a big character in the community,” he says, “and he touched a lot of lives.

“He did a lot of coaching from the mid-1980s on and held several positions in the club. He was always there and he was a huge loss, not just to the club but to the whole community.

“He was also heavily involved in Innishannon Steam & Vintage Rally and other events. He was just a people person.

“He was great for young people coming out of school, to advise them what career paths to take. He influenced a lot of people, in the area and I’ve no doubt outside the area, in a positive manner.”

The memory of that influence remains strong in Paudie’s native place and Templenoe were delighted to accept the invitation.

“It was Jim Nolan and Alan Quirke tied in with them,” O’Donovan says.

“Fair play to Templenoe – it’s the mark of the man, the journey from there to Innishannon is a long one and people are busy, but they’re more than happy to come.

“It’s something we would hope to do on an annual basis, that Valley Rovers would go down there next spring.

“There’ll be no charge going into the game, but there will be a commemorative tribute programme on sale. The proceeds from that will go to the Dunmanway Day United in CUH, where he was given such great care and attention.”