Sadness at the Untimely passing of former GAA president Liam O'Neill

By Paul Fitzpatrick

'A great advocate for handball' - sadness at untimely passing of former GAA President Liam O'Neill

GAA Handball is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former GAA President, Liam O'Neill.

The late Liam, a native of Laois, served as the 37^th President of the association and was regarded as an innovative, straight-talking administrator who was universally respected across all codes of the Gaelic games family.

Coming from the Trumera club, Liam rose to become Laois county secretary and chairperson of Leinster GAA before being elected to the top office in the association and one of the most prestigious roles in Irish sport and, indeed, Irish life.

He attended handball Congress in Monaghan in 2013, where he spoke about his appreciation for the code which he had supported throughout his life.

His passion for handball was exemplified at GAA Congress in 2014 at Croke Park when he told the assembled delegates that handball and rounders were key areas of potential growth for the association, noting that while ‘these two sports lag behind the field sports’, the development of One Wall handball (since rebranded as wallball) was expected to be a game-changer in terms of driving participation.

“Handball used to require the building of expensive courts for players to play the game,” he said.

“Naturally this inhibited the growth of the game and is probably the reason that there are just over 220 handball clubs on the island. However the return of the One Wall game in the last few years has given us a fantastic opportunity to promote handball.

“All that is required for a One Wall handball is a wall and a flat surface in front of it. Any GAA, community or school hall with a 16-foot high wall with a width of 20 feet can take an adult One Wall handball court.

“All that’s needed is five sheets of plywood against a wall with five more on top and sufficient space in front for the playing area.”

Liam later led a steering group on handball which delivered an exhaustively-researched report in 2018, with a number of quite radical recommendations on structures and competitions.

GAA Handball President Kevin Cooke led the tributes this morning (Wednesday) on behalf of all in the handball community.

“Liam was a remarkable Gael who dedicated a lifetime of service to the GAA at county, provincial and national level,” he said.

“A great advocate for GAA Handball, he was a strong supporter of the 2012 World Handball Championships in Dublin as President-elect and later, at the request of then Uachtarán Joe Masterson, chaired a steering group that helped shape the future direction of our sport.

“We are sincerely grateful for Liam's unwavering commitment, wisdom and support over many years.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to his wife, Áine, his daughters, Caoimhe and Cliodhna, his son, Ciarán, and to all his family, friends and colleagues.”

GAA President Jarlath Burns spoke warmly of his predecessor.

"It is with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of Liam after his recent battle with illness,” he said.

"His wit and wisdom were hallmarks of his Presidency, which in many ways was a precursor to the conversations which are commonplace today around integration and inclusion.

"At county level, Liam had been a pioneering figure in the adoption of technology to enhance the governance and organisation of our games and it was on his watch that the Association first embraced the use of Hawkeye and the deployment of the black card, via the Football Review Committee, which he established.

"His grá for education, especially through the medium of Irish in Trumera, complemented his passion for our games and culture and his contribution to the GAA in so many guises was hugely significant.

"At this time, we think of his wife Áine, children Caoimhe, Ciarán and Clíodhna and extend our sympathies to his wider family and circle of friends and admirers."

Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced at the time of writing.