LARRY HAD A PASSION FOR THE GAA
ON DECEMBER 16, hundreds of mourners gathered in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Ballygarrett, to bid a final farewell to Larry Doyle who passed away on December 13 after a long illness.
Larry was born on February 1, 1951, in Lower Templeshannon, Enniscorthy. He was the second youngest of five children to Josie and Jim ‘The Tailor’ Doyle.
Larry enjoyed a great relationship with his brothers and sisters – Cara, Bríd, David and Andy – who were a great support to him, especially in recent years during his illness. Being the son of two tailors, Larry was always interested in fashion and style. Mustard jackets, bright ties and leather shoes were part and parcel of Larry’s lovable personality.
Larry spent his summer holidays in his uncle Andy and aunt Ellie’s farm in Ballygarrett. He went on to settle in Ballygarrett, where his five children, Emmet, Mark, James, Ann and Lorna, still reside.
He was deeply committed to his family and a loving father and grandfather. He always spoke glowingly of his children, and grandchildren Farrell, Giovanni, Dylan, Ava, Faye, Patrick and Andy, and recently commented they ‘filled a place in his heart he never knew was empty’.
Larry graduated from UCD as geography and history teacher and started his teaching career in Coolmine Community School, Co Dublin, before becoming a young vice principal in Trim Vocational School, Co Meath.
Larry has strong connections in Meath and is one of a few men to hold dual senior hurling and football titles for Kilmessan and Summerhill respectively. His most memorable was playing senior hurling with Kilmessan, winning Meath county finals in 1976, ’77 and ’78. Former friends and players travelled from Kilmessan and presented the Doyle family with a Kilmessan jersey.
He transferred to Gorey Vocational School in 1983 as a teacher and then onto principal following the retirement of Ronnie McCormick. During his time in the Vocational School and Community School (from 1993), he made great friends and many memories.
Throughout his illness, Larry received enormous support from his work colleagues and met his friends for tea and coffees on a weekly basis. There were plenty of tall tales, laughter and cherished memories had by all.
Larry was renowned for his coaching days and dedication to the GAA in his school life. He will be fondly remembered for his love and passion of hurling and football. His love of this sport was contagious and was instilled in many hurlers and footballers throughout Wexford.
Larry trained the GCS hurling and football teams to many finals. Coincidentally on the day of Larry’s wake, the GCS junior hurlers played in a Leinster final. The players wore black arm bands and there was a minute’s silence before the game as a sign of respect. No doubt he would be proud of all the players and especially the four Réalt na Mara men who were on the team.
When his daughters Ann and Lorna were in school, he revived ladies’ football in GCS, who became known as ‘the Dream Team’ winning junior and senior Leinster titles. His involvement in ladies football made a significant contribution to the development of ladies’ football in North Wexford.
A spokesperson for Gorey Community School paid tribute to Larry’s involvement with GAA in the school, recalling that a highlight of his career in coaching was in 2000 when the school teams he co-managed with Rory McCarthy won the Leinster junior and senior ladies’ football titles. In 2009, possibly his biggest disappointment was when the boys were beaten by a point in the senior Gaelic Leinster football final. ‘Larry was a great character,’ said the spokesperson. ‘He was very popular among the staff and pupils and will be sadly missed by all the staff.’
Many people would know Larry as a GAA referee. He caused quite a stir at many local games and there was always a story to be told after Larry’s games. He refereed at inter county level and was the first Fourth Official in Croke Park at the All-Ireland final when it was first introduced.
A testament to Larry’s career are his days as manager to the Wexford minor football and the minor Hurling teams reaching Leinster finals in 1998 and 1999. This grá and passion for hurling was possibly established in Larry’s younger days when he represented the Wexford minor football team and proudly won an All-Ireland minor hurling medal with Wexford in 1968.
In 2014, Larry managed the Wexford intermediate hurlers who won the Leinster final versus Kilkenny in Nowlan Park. He was joined by his son-in-law Pat Naughter. Larry was a very modest and unassuming man and never dwelt on his past achievements.
Larry was a big part of the community in Ballygarrett. He worked on many projects in Ballygarrett and Cahore, especially in earlier days getting lights and infrastructure in the area. He was former proprietor of Cherryfield Nursing Home which played a large part in the community. Cherryfield was set up in 1988 and became a focal part of the
community. Larry was always kind and caring to residents and this impacted on so many families in the village and surrounding areas.
He was heavily involved in his own club, Ballygarrett Réalt na Mara, where he enjoyed many great times both on and off the playing field. Larry always placed so much pride and heart in his club. He wore his heart on his sleeve and some of those who knew him will say he was known to occasionally lose the plot on the sideline!
Ballygarrett Réalt na Mara GAA Club held a great night for Larry last October to recognise his achievements as a player and manager. The club gave Larry and his family a boost just when it was needed. It would be fair to say his likes will not be seen again. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
Larry will be lovingly remembered by his sons Emmet, Mark and James, daughters Ann and Lorna (Naughter) and their mother Annette, brothers David and Andy, sisters Cara and Bríd, his seven grandchildren, son-in-law Patrick, daughters-in-law Carla and Sandra, aunts Margo and Pat, brother-in-law Hugh, sisters-in-law Norma and Bernie, nephews, nieces, extended family, his GAA associates and wide circle of friends.
May his gentle soul rest in peace. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
A Hurler’s Prayer
When the final whistle for me has blown
And I stand at last before God’s judgment throne
May the great Referee when he calls my name
Say: ‘You hurled like a man ‘You played the game’.