An honest, humble, hardworking man who lived for family and Reenard GAA
REENARD GAA Club and the wider community were deeply saddened to hear that Daniel (Danny) O’Sullivan, a true Gael and dedicated lifetime club supporter had passed away on the 16th December 2019.
There were two things important to Danny in life. First and foremost his family, and a very close second was the Reenard GAA Club. In delivering the Eulogy at his funeral mass, his daughter, Nuala told the congregation “that Danny was a humble, loving, kind person.
Whatever ups and downs they had as a family, Danny was always their go-to person, their rock, never judging. He instilled in them the importance of family and supporting them came naturally to him”.
She went onto say that “Danny led a very ordinary life. He was more than content with his lot, be it, going out for a day’s work, a bit of gardening, a bit of fishing , going to a match, going to a céile or just going for a walk down the road to the pier at The Point”. There is a line in a Phil Coulter song that she said summed up her Dad’s life perfectly…‘it’s been a good life, far from a high life but I thank God, this is my life’
When it came to Reenard GAA Club, Danny loved everything that is good about the local GAA…..the tradition of the sport, the sense of community, the comrades you meet, the thrills of winning and heartbreak in losing.
Danny’s involvement with the Reenard GAA club involved many different duties during his life. He played with Reenard/Foilmore in 1966, winning the South Kerry Junior Championship against St. Marys, after a replay. He was elected club secretary the following year and held that position or vice-secretary, well into the 1970s.
In 1972 and 1974, Danny was part of the Reenard/Foilmore Minor Management Team. In 1974, they won the South Kerry Minor Championship against Valentia, which was a major achievement for the club at the time.
He was a member of the Reenard Senior Management team in 1981 and Vice Chairman in 1982 and 1983. In 2007, Danny was elected Vice-President of the club and held that position until his passing.
While Danny played his part as a player, manager and club officer, it was his trojan work off the field and outside club meetings that was key with regard to the ongoing development and sustainability of the club.
His fundraising endeavours were legendary, going back as far as 1967 when as part of a committee he helped raise £23 in a club raffle (a lot of money at the time). More recently, he was a driving force behind the current club lotto when it was launched in 2016.
His attendance at games over the years was close to 100%. During 2019, despite his deteriorating health and dependence on portable oxygen, he continued to travel to the club County League and County Junior Championship games in Killorglin, Cordal, Duagh, Asdee, Finuge, Churchill, Beaufort and Listry.
It was a fitting tribute to Danny when he travelled to Portmagee on November 30 2019 to witness Reenard rally back and defeat Skellig Rangers in the dying minutes of the first round of the South Kerry Championship. In his own words on the day, he said, “‘you need a bit of luck to win”.
His dedication to the club was recognised when he was awarded the ‘Club Person of Year’ Award, not once but twice. On both occasions, whilst he might not have openly shown it, he was very humbled and bursting with pride on receiving those awards.
Another blue that ran through Danny’s veins was his political beliefs, he was a pure Blue Shirt. He would have been quietly proud of the Guard of Honour organised for him by Reenard GAA and the local Fine Gael branch on the evening of his removal and again for his funeral cortege as it took him on his final journey to his place of rest in Holy Cross Cemetery.
Danny will be sadly missed by his Wife Marie, Children Anne, Nuala, Niamh & Gearoid, his Brothers Michael & Jackie, Grandchildren, Great Grandchildren, extended family, neighbours, many friends and all in Reenard GAA Club.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.