The late Patsy Guckian Shannon Lodge Ck-on-Shannon and St Marys GAA Club
The late Patsy Guckian. Shannon Lodge, Ck-on-Shannon and St Marys GAA Club
Leitrim GAA wishes to offer its sincere condolences to the family of the late Patsy Guckian, Shannon Lodge, Ck-on-Shannon, who passed to his eternal reward yesterday. Patsy, a former employee of ESB, was a lifetime GAA stalwart giving so much of his spare time towards the development of underage players in the St. Mary’s, Kiltoghert, Club over the 1980’s and early 1990’s and indeed also shared his expertise as selector with various county underage teams of that era. He also served as a Leitrim Senior selector in the mid 1980s. The unprecedented success of the St Mary’s underage teams in the 1980’s and into the 1990’s was testament to the work spearheaded by the genial Patsy.
Indeed in 1988, with Patsy at the helm, St Mary’s won all of the underage championship titles on offer from Under 12 to Under 21, a haul of trophies never before achieved or since matched. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the St Mary’s Club Patsy was presented with the Ciba-Geigy sponsored GAA Provincial and County Club Person of the Year Award in 1986.
This improvement of standards in the county town club, no doubt spurred on other clubs in an effort to match the St Mary’s underage machines of that era and the stock of Leitrim teams at all levels improved greatly. Ultimately the underage players of St. Marys, who were the product of Patsy’s dedication, went on to share in the Club’s second SFC win of 1995, the year in which they also won the Intermediate and Minor A Championship titles, an unprecedented haul of silverware that that is unlikely to be repeated in the future.
A former club player with both Annaduff and St. Marys, Patsy also represented Leitrim in the early 1960s.
Patsy is survived by his wife Gladys, sons Brendan and Pat, daughters Aine and Michelle. His remains will repose at his residence in Shannon Lodge, Ck-on Shannon today (Wednesday) from 2pm to 5pm with removal to arrive at St Mary’s Church, Ck-on-Shannon at 7pm. His funeral mass will take place on Thursday at 12 noon with burial immediately afterwards in KiltoghertCemetery.
Ar Dheis De go raibh se.
14-Jan-15 by Declan Bohan – PRO
