by Róise Coillins

Mourners travelled from every corner of the country to bid farewell to the late Ollie Horgan, who was remembered for his humour and humble nature at his funeral Mass held in his native Galway this afternoon.

Ollie, the former manager of Finn Harps and former assistant manager at Galway United, died on Thursday.

The 57-year-old was a teacher at St. Eunan’s College in Letterkenny, where he joined the staff in 1989, teaching maths and PE. The school remained closed today as a mark of respect.

A large number of students from the school, as well as students from Loreto Letterkenny – where his wife Anita is a teacher – were in attendance at this afternoon’s Requiem Mass.

Among those who travelled to the Church of Christ the King, Salthill, were the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins and managers from a host of League of Ireland clubs.

Former Republic of Ireland international Damien Duff, who is the former manager of Shelbourne FC, former Derry City manager Ruaidhri Higgins and former Finn Harps player Paddy McCourt were also in attendance, along with several FAI board members.

The funeral Mass was celebrated by Fr Ciaran Harkin from Letterkenny, who was also a close friend of Ollie’s.

It was concelebrated by Fr Damien Nejad, chaplain at St Eunan’s College, Fr Michael McLaughlin, parish priest in Salthill, Fr Des Walsh, chaplain to the President and Fr Michael Carney, who was President of St Eunan’s College for many years.

A moving eulogy was delivered by Ollie’s son Brendan, who spoke warmly of his father as he shared anecdotes from his upbringing.

“His honesty was evident from a young age,” he told the large congregation.
“My granny told me a story years ago of when she brought him into the shops in town and she bought him an anorak, that she probably shouldn’t have, and she made him promise that he couldn’t tell his dad. He said he wouldn’t.”
“But when he landed home he walked into the sitting room and he said ‘we didn’t buy no anorak’.”

The church, heavy with grief, erupted with laughter.

He spoke of his sporting journey, which was heavily influenced by his brother Martin, who also sadly recently passed away.

Brendan shared that as a player, his father was “happy to take both man and ball with him.”
“Over the last few days I’ve met many of his past opponents – they all seem to have the same limp.”

Those gathered heard how Ollie, a gifted piano player, would often liven up gatherings by getting people singing and dancing.

Ollie studied civil engineering at the University of Galway. His children were often reminded how upon completing his degree, he was offered a job in the Channel Tunnel, which he turned down. Instead, he opted for a sports scholarship and a H.Dip.
“It’s also probably part of the reason that the Channel Tunnel is still intact,” Brendan joked.

In 1989, Ollie got a job at St Eunan’s College. That same year, he met his wife Anita at the Central Bar in Letterkenny.

Beyond his many sporting achievements with the school, Brendan also spoke of how much his father enjoyed his work as a teacher.
“There was never a dull day in there.”
“Whether he was parking certain teachers’ cars in the middle of the football pitch or slagging the principal in staff meetings, he always kept the craic going in there.”

Brendan shared a story of how, on their way to school one morning, they had an incident with the lollipop man.

“We hit the lollipop man…” he told those gathered.
“He spent a few seconds on the bonnet of the car, he was fine but it was a long while before we were allowed to tell our mother that one.”

When he first moved to Donegal, Ollie signed and played for Fanad United, where he played for a number of years before a ligament injury prompted the end of his playing career.
“That setback pushed him to get into management, to stay involved in the game,” Brendan shared.

He also went on to manage the Irish Schoolboys International Team, which he was still involved with until a couple of months ago.
“He loved watching the young players progress in their careers beyond the schoolboys, with some of them really accomplished players now.”

Ollie then progressed to Finn Harps in 2013. Brendan spoke of the good and bad days in Finn Park, including one bruising defeat from Dundalk.

He shared how his father was on the road back down to Galway to see his parents and as he was passing through Tuam he was pulled over for speeding.
“He said he remembered sitting in the car thinking ‘I have nine penalty points now and Finn Harps have eight on the table’ and he said ‘that’s surviving at the bottom’,” the congregation again roared with laughter.

Brendan also spoke about his recent time spent at Galway United, and how at one stage last season Ollie had more yellow cards than any player in the league.
“But I’ve been told he wasn’t at fault for any of them.”

Brendan shared how his father was a very mentally tough man who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind or call out an injustice.

He spoke of how Ollie helped many people both in and out of sport, whether it was the hours he spent in A&E with players and students or driving lads across the country.
“He done these things quietly, never looking for the favour returned.”

He said Ollie was a good father, while also sharing some of his quirks, like his recent obsession with Done Deal and his love for carvery lunches.
“He left us with nine ride-on lawnmowers and only one of them that works.”

He also warmly shared how his father had time for everybody he met and how he was so unapologetically himself.

Fr Ciaran Harkin shared the same sentiment, which tied into the Gospel he read during the Mass, centred on Ollie’s humble nature and natural humility.
“It’s from hearts like this, rooted in the virtue of humility, that frees one to be servants and friends and hosts to the poor, the blind, the lame and the less fortunate of society.”
“Certainly, as we know, Ollie lived that out in the countless acts of kindness and thoughtfulness to so many people that he met and came across.”

He spoke of how this “under the radar” approach also applied to his faith, and shared a story of how Ollie was often spotted making a “short visit” to the church.

“Sometimes these short visits were extremely short.

“He would pull up to the Church of the Irish Martyrs with the engine still running and the door open. He would go in, bless himself, and out again.

“Obviously he was in a rush, probably heading to Finn Park and praying for a good and just referee – you could say another unanswered prayer.”

Fr Harkin also spoke at length of the positive contribution Ollie made to the community and the world of sport.

“Any time you spent time in his company – whether it was in the staff room, the car, the minibus, the bar stool or a late-night chipper – you felt your life was enriched, you felt the better for it, and you were always guaranteed a good laugh.”

Following the funeral Mass, Ollie was laid to rest in Rahoon Cemetery.

The beloved son of the late Joe and Bernie Horgan, and brother of Martin (R.I.P.), Ollie is mourned by his wife Anita and their children Emma, Anthony, Brendan, Conor and David, sister Mary, and brother Ger. He will also be missed by Kit, Brian and Caroline, his nephews, nieces, and extended family.

Galway United players provided a Guard of Honour for the late Ollie Horgan as his remains left the Church of Christ the King, as students from St Eunan’s College, Letterkeny, also lined the route. Photo: North West Newspix

Galway United provided a Guard of Honour at the funeral of Ollie Horgan as his remains left the Church of Christ the King. Photos: North West Newspix