STANDING on the sideline before the match in Ahamilla on Friday evening between Barryroe and Kilbrittain, looking for somebody on the Barryroe side to check out their team in the programme. Any personnel changes, positional changes? Our go-to man wasn’t there, and will never be there again.
Our first game involving Barryroe this season and we instantly felt the huge loss of Donal Holland. Somebody very special in our GAA life has gone, called away far too soon.
A gentleman and a gentle man, Donal was always our first port of call when Barryroe were playing. Always courteous, always obliging, always so knowledgeable.
A great man to listen as well as talk, he was a mine of information, never without an opinion on the GAA doings of the time but never forcing them on you. A pleasure to talk to, a pleasure to deal with – it’s hard to take in he’s no longer here. He was taken far too soon.
Liam Murphy, a staunch Barryroe man, former player and now administrator, soldiered with Donal all his GAA life in the club.
‘Donal was stuck in the GAA all his life,’ Liam explained.
‘It was in his blood from the start. His father Paddy was a great Barryroe GAA man, a hard-working underage mentor. His sister Rosarie won All-Ireland camogie senior and intermediate medals with Cork – and he was a great follower of camogie.
‘Donal attended Barryroe National School where he learned to play the games. His first love was hurling. He won a minor A hurling medal in 1986, playing at full back, when the team beat Newcestown in the final. He played in an U21 final in 1989, again against Newcestown, which he lost.’
Donal was stuck in the GAA all his life. It was in his blood from the start
Donal’s playing career didn’t last after the U21 grade as life took over and left little time for training and playing because of the family pig-producing business. As he hung up his boots, Donal’s GAA administrative career begun
‘In 1995 Vincent O’Donovan asked Donal to get involved with the underage and he didn’t have to ask twice,’ Liam said.
‘He took on the U10s and stayed with that group right up to minor. They lost the county minor final to St Colman's in 2005 in hurling by a point. He was more into hurling initially, but he then got involved in football as well.
‘In 2007, the year Barryroe won the junior A hurling county, they also won the South West junior B and Donal was manager of that team. He was managing the junior C football team for the past three years.’
Because of lack of numbers in both Barryroe and Timoleague, the two clubs decided to amalgamate in underage, and Donal played a role in that amalgamation.
‘In 2012 Ibane Gaels was formed between Barryroe and Argideen Rangers and Donal played a huge part in setting that up,’ explained Liam.
‘Donal could see we were struggling at minor and U21, caught for numbers. He was involved with those Barryroe teams himself and he drove the amalgamation because he knew the problems that were there. He was involved with the Ibane U21s ever since. In 2016 Ibane won the county U21B football, beating Bandon in the South West final and Clyda in the county final – Donal was an integral part of that.
‘In recent years, in 2022, Ibane won the double South West U21A football and hurling and he was a selector on those teams. This year he was manager of the U21 football team that beat Clonakilty in the first round in February and are due to play the semi-final against Skibbereen. He’ll be sorely missed there.’
Donal was also a selector with the junior football and intermediate hurlers at times, mainly because the club recognised his worth on the sideline.
‘He was always very shrewd, very calm under pressure, wouldn’t push his opinions on others and definitely never looked for the limelight’ said Liam.
‘The young players loved him. When we were going to underage matches, he’d be the first over to Lislevane and his car would be full before any other.
‘He was delegate to the West Cork Board for years, at underage for about 20 years and adult level for the past ten years, and was currently assistant secretary in the club, a job he took on at the AGM before he became ill.’
Liam added: ‘The true reflection of him was the size of his funeral – it was huge. You had the guard of honour and his coffin was shouldered all the way from Barryroe church to Lislevane. It showed the huge respect the past and present players and members of the club and the community had for him.’
To his sisters Bridget, Siobhán, Fidelma and Rosarie, and all his extended family, goes the sympathy of all West Cork Gaels. Ar dheis lámh Dé go raibh a anam uasal, dílis.
