Eddie O'Hare's remarkable legacy and some of the best shots he leaves behind
Few have left as lasting an imprint on this newspaper as Eddie O’Hare. A true gentleman and a master of his craft, Eddie possesses that rarest of gifts: an instinct for the perfect moment – and an eye that sees what others miss.
His retirement leaves a void that won’t be easily filled. Not just for the calibre of his photography, but for the passion he brings to every frame. That drive to capture the moment – to bottle something bigger than the game or race itself – is what defined his career.
As Eddie himself puts it, You need to get a picture that someone who’s not interested in sport will still be drawn to. That’s the key. That’s quality.
To mark his retirement, we asked Eddie to select some of his most memorable photographs – not a “best of,” because frankly there are far too many. But a few that stood out to him, each for their own reason.
And where better to begin than with two legends in a single frame: Roy Keane and Brian Clough.
“I suppose one of the standout ones would be probably the great connection with Roy Keane,and going over to photograph Keane at Nottingham,” Eddie begins. "We would have met Keane on a number of occasions, we got into his house – he was in digs originally – but then he went into a farmhouse on the outskirts of Nottingham.
“I remember, that night they were playing a League Cup match, and he got us in to meet Brian Clough. And we got the two of them together."
Another moment frozen in time: Jack Charlton on the final whistle.
“The Jack Charlton one to me is, literally on the final whistle. I was in the far corner of the stadium, across the pitch. I focused on them, waiting for the final whistle – and that’s my shot.
“Ireland did the warm-weather training in Orlando for the World Cup in ‘94, then came up to New York for the first day, and they beat Italy, 1-0.
“The atmosphere at that was brilliant. I remember meeting Keane at the time, and he said to me ‘Jesus Christ it was some atmosphere, were there any Italian fans here?’ Because the whole place was full of Irish. I always remembered that comment to me.
They are two of an endless list of incredible soccer pictures, just like the moment Stephen Ireland celebrated after scoring against Wales in 2007.
“That was the first official [soccer] goal scored in Croke Park,” Eddie explains. “I had the sequence of that in photographs, the shot, him scoring and turning to the crowd. Better again, he’s a Cork man!”
But if there’s one player who’s never let Eddie down in front of the lens, it’s Seani Maguire.
“The Seani Maguire goal, that’s being in the right place at the right time. I got him scoring the goal, the whole sequence of the goal, running past the Dundalk fellas.
“I think I’m probably the only one who got a decent shot out of all the agencies. He could have ran the other way. He took off his top, and ran where I was. He could have come in on top of me, he was that close!” Eddie laughs. “Funnily enough, I have some magnificent shots of Seani Maguire getting goals for Cork City.
“I just seem to be always in the right place to get it, more than any other players over the years. I’ve got him getting goals in European games and league games. He always seems to turn my direction.”
Another standout? A photo from Greenwood U16s featuring two future stars, that took different paths: Damien Cahalane and John Egan.
“The real reason for putting that one out is the connection with Niall Cahalane and John Egan Sr, but what I tweeted out that time was after Damien Cahalane went in goals for Castlehaven to make the two good saves, rolling back the years after doing it with Greenwood at Turner’s Cross.
In GAA, Eddie’s had his share of drama – none more so than Cork vs Clare in 2007.
“The two teams came out. They hadn't even had they done the team photograph at the time, but they both came out together.
“Next thing, a fight; as they came out the same tunnel. They’re baiting one another, you can see [Diarmuid] O’Sullivan in the background, there were incidents going all over the place. To the right you can see two fellas there as well.”
That same intensity was there in a 2012 clash involving Ian Jones, who is now the Cork hurlers' Strength and Conditioning coach, and David Niblock.
“You get lucky with these things! You’ve everything going on there,” Eddie says. “Face to face, squashed up noses – Hickey’s being held back. It has everything in it.”
But it’s not all brawls and tension. Moments of joy can be just as powerful – like Cork’s All-Ireland camogie win last year.
“I hadn't seen any picture like that. I don't think anybody got a photograph. Maybe they did, but I couldn't see it anywhere. Just with the cup in the air, and everybody waiting for it.
“It had everything, faces, reactions – waiting for that cup to drop. I think it captures an awful lot.”
Beyond the mainstream, three other shots stand out – from Thai boxing, horse racing, and yacht racing.
“The Fastnet race, spending two days out on somebody’s boat waiting all day long. You could be out from eight in the morning to eight at night. Back in those days, you actually came back to the office with the film!
“The Thai boxing one. The contrast, one fella on the ground with the referee consoling him, while Dave O’Brien celebrates. That was in 2001.
“Getting over the fence, then falling off and being dragged with his leg caught up with the stirrup. It was grand, he was uninjured – but it just makes for a dramatic photograph, because he kept going. The other guy takes over and wins the race.”
Eddie’s work speaks for itself. But it’s the stories behind the shots – and the passion behind the camera – that made him one of a kind.
From all of us: thank you, Eddie.
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