The coffin of Jackie O’Gorman is brought past St John’s NS. Photograph: Joe Buckley
PAST and present hurling warriors came out in their droves to pay tribute to the late Jackie O’Gorman.
Huge crowds attended Jackie’s reposal and funeral in Cratloe on Thursday and Friday. Fr Harry Bohan was the celebrant for the funeral, the Feakle native was a dear friend of Jackie’s and managed him at inter-county level when he represented Clare with distinction.
Jackie was first called up to the Clare hurling panel in the late 1960s. He was a regular on the side from 1967 up until his retirement. He starred in the national league winning teams of 1977 and 1978 when Clare accounted for Kilkenny in both finals.
O’Gorman was part of the Clare side which suffered defeats in the Munster finals in 1972, 1974, 1977 and 1978. When his inter county playing days ended he became a selector and filled that role when Clare contested the Munster finals of 1981 and 1986. Jackie also got to represent Munster during the height of the Railway Cup.
At Friday’s mass, items brought before the altar included a family photograph, a small cow and a tool to showcase the amount of various items made by Jackie during his time working in SPS in Shannon.
Two of his former teammates, Seamus Durack and Sean Stack presented a Clare flag to Jackie’s wife Joan at the mass.
Guard of honours were provided by the Cratloe GAA club where current stars Podge Collins, Conor Ryan and Conor McGrath were among those to carry the coffin. Students from St John’s NS in Cratloe also lined the streets as part of a huge guard of honour.
Former teammates of Jackie were among the dozens of Clare hurlers that joined the guard of honour. They included Ger Loughnane, Sean Stack, Seamus Durack, John Callinan, Naoise Jordan, Colm Honan, Johnny McMahon, Gus Lohan and Sean Hehir.
Jackie is survived by his wife Joan (Bennis) and his children, Mary, Angela, Jacqueline and Joanne, his sons-in-law John, Fergal, Richard and Tommy, his adored grandchildren Robyn, Jack, Sam, Eve, and George, brother Michael and sister Bridie, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, extended family and friends. He is predeceased by his sisters Mary and Chrissie, brother Eddie.
