GAA was only one of many organisations to which Tomás gave a huge contribution

It took a time to absorb, the news that Tomás Ó hEocaidh had passed away last week. Only two days prior to his death, we had the usual chat before taking our seats for the June meeting of the Louth County Board meeting, in Darver.

The opening lines were the usual:

Tomás: “Cad é mar a tá tú.”
Mise: “Cuíosach maith. Ni hea – go hana mhaith.”

The rest of the conversation was in the second language. He was in good form, and for a few minutes, the talk centred, as nearly always, on football and politics, both of us known to kick with the same foot, as they say.

Tomás rarely made a contribution to a County Board debate that wasn’t relevant. He didn’t speak just to be heard, nor was his voice ever raised.

On this night, as the massive cost of the county’s new stadium was disclosed, he made the point that the development of the Drogheda Gaelic Grounds could have been done for a fraction of the €25 million which the project is estimated to cost. He hoped it wouldn’t be like the children’s hospital in Dublin, with the price continually going up.

Then, as the meeting closed, he was asked – in the absence of children’s officer, Dermot Clarke – to say the prayer in memory of recently-deceased members of the association. It was, you could say, a fitting way for him to take his leave of the people with whom he had shared a room over a long number of years, representing the Oliver Plunkets club in Drogheda.

There was a time when Tomás sat at the top table at County Board meetings. He filled the role of vice-chairman, having prior to that been chairman of the Minor Board. Again, his contributions were always measured – everyone was treated with respect.

For a time he was also the Board’s development officer and also chaired the development/health & safety committee. His wife, Áine, who shared her husband’s passion for the GAA and Irish language, was chairperson of the Health & Wellbeing Committee.

Tomás’s outstanding work in the GAA, however, was his contribution to Oliver Plunkets. Over the years he kept the Drogheda club to the forefront, while playing a key role in the development of its facilities at The Mell.

Along with such stalwarts as the late Michael Matthews, Terry Maher and Dan Woods, and others, he worked tirelessly, and if on-field rewards were sporadic in recent times, the drive to maintain the club as one of the county’s best-run never wavered.

There were many other community, cultural, educational and political organisations of which Julianstown-born Tomás was involved over the years, and in none of them was he less than a genuine contributor.

Sympathy is extended to Áine, her sons and daughters and other family members and friends. There were many visitors to the Ó hEochaidh home on Friday and Saturday, while his Requiem Mass and funeral had many from the GAA fraternity present.