Last Thursday was supposed to be one of the biggest nights in the history of Irish football. Maybe it still was. Even so, much of the spotlight shone on the void left by one who shunned it all his life.
Tributes poured in, mourning the loss of Ollie Horgan. From presidents to paupers, they were keen to pay tribute to a great man. After a historic European triumph for Shels, Joey O’ Brien said he hoped Ollie was smiling down. He was more likely cringing. Fuss and fanfare weren’t his thing.
Ollie earned a place in our hearts because of his lack of airs and graces. The outpouring of emotion over the last week will hopefully have brought some solace to his family who have suffered an unimaginable loss.
The loss for a wider community of colleagues, students, players and football people will nonetheless be keenly felt. It is a loss that is also difficult to quantify.
Galway has lost one of its own. No matter how long he spent in Donegal, Ollie oozed Galwayness.
The League of Ireland has lost one of its true originals. A character beloved all around the league for the passion he channelled and the humour he brought.
Galway United has lost a tireless worker, a bright football mind and a legendary recruiter.
The league match officials might have lost their star witness in any future class action cases for deafness.
Ollie was an educator all his life but maybe he gave some of his best lessons this past year. He carried an illness with unparalleled dignity. His continued work with Galway United was a stirring example of loyalty and service.
The time will come for a proper retrospective on Ollie’s significant abilities and achievements and the substantial legacy he leaves.
Even a week on, the loss feels too big, the emotions too raw. Rather, amidst the clips, the memes, the stories imagined and true, one image captured the moment. A white bedsheet, with a crude scrawl from the Harps fans that said, ‘Thank You Ollie’.
Simple, effective, honest. All he would have wanted. The very least he deserved.
