IT was with immense sadness that we learned of the passing of our greatly respected former GAA correspondent Paddy McEvoy.
Now in its 75th year of publication, the Mourne Observer has benefitted from a dedicated band of GAA correspondents, each serving for a considerable number of years.
Following in the footsteps of men including Barney Carr, Paddy O’Donoghue and Sean Magorrian, Paddy was probably the longest serving, never failing in his enthusiasm and dedication to reporting the sport he loved.
His weekly reports, in the early days delivered in handwritten form, were always ready for collection on Monday mornings, regardless of how busy a weekend he had had covering games, especially during Championship time.
As well as the bread-and-butter fixtures, Paddy was not found wanting when it came to the big occasions.
His coverage of Down’s 1-16 to 1-14 victory over Meath in the 1991 All Ireland Senior Football final contributed to one of the largest selling issues in the Mourne Observer’s history.
The paper hit the streets three days after Down had secured the Sam Maguire Cup for a fourth time and an unprecedented 17,000 copies were printed. In just a couple of days every one of them had been snapped up.
Paddy was also in the press box at Croke Park three years later, when Down won ‘Sam’ for the fifth time in a two-point victory over Dublin and in 2005 reflected on another glorious day for the county when the Minor footballers celebrated All Ireland success.
But for failing eyesight Paddy would probably have continued in the role for even longer but his passion for the GAA never diminished. He has left a proud and lasting legacy in the Mourne Observer archives and colleagues past and present extend sympathy to the family circle.
Paddy was instrumental in the founding of the Carryduff club and then came to live in Downpatrick, where he became involved with RGU.
He was club secretary in their championship winning year of 1978 and the author of ‘The Russell Chronicles’, a history of Gaelic Games in Downpatrick.
Many fitting tributes have been paid to Paddy over the past week, including from Down GAA, which praised the “wonderful coverage of Gaelic Games” he provided for Mourne Observer readers over the decades.
“Paddy put his heart and soul into the coverage of Gaelic Games, for the readers of the Mourne Observer he brought club and county matches to life, with an honest assessment of the games and gentle manner that gained him the trust and respect of players, managers and supporters,” the tribute added.
