Two counties were in mourning this week following the death of popular Kerryman Con O’Shea, who had made Kilkenny his home for more than 60 years.
Mr O’Shea, of Vicar Street, Kilkenny, passed away on Sunday morning at the age of 88.
A former president of the Kerry Association in Kilkenny and a native of Listry, county Kerry, Mr O’Shea was known as a passionate supporter of his native county’s gaelic football team and his adopted county’s hurling team.
In the 1960s he founded the Clan na Gael gaelic football club in Kilkenny city and he was one of the best-known and most popular figures in local sporting and social circles.
Local councillor and fellow Kerry native, Seán ÓhArgáin, echoed the sentiments of Fr Jim Murphy when he said that Kerry people in Kilkenny had lost their King.
“Con was the essence of Kerry but also loved his adopted city. Everywhere you met a Kerry person in Ireland and you said you lived in Kilkenny, the first question you were asked was ‘do you know Con?’,” said Cllr ÓhArgáin.
“He had an infectious sense of humour and you never left his company without a smile on your face. He was immensely proud of his family and their achievements in business, sporting life and the arts in Kilkenny, and of course hugely proud to have been the grandfather of Rose of Tralee, Orla O’Shea.
“It’s with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to one of Kerry’s greatest supporters and one of Kilkenny’s greatest characters. Ni bheidh a leitheid aris ann go deo.”
Minister for Trade and Commerce, John McGuinness, also paid tribute to a man who had given so much to his adopted county.
“Con was a legend, a Kerry man to his fingertips, but fell in love with Kilkenny and anyone who met him in Kilkenny fell in love with him,” he said.
“He was a character who was larger than life, who had strong associations with business in Kilkenny, family in Kilkenny and the Kilkenny beer festival and he will be sadly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
A funeral mass was held for Con O’Shea at St Canice’s Church on Tuesday morning and his body was laid to rest in St Kieran’s cemetery.
