TRIBUTES PAID TO LIMERICK GAA STALWART and AUTHOR HARRY GREENSMYTH

Aine Fitzgerald and Jerome O’Connell Limerick Leader

TRIBUTES have been paid to well-known Limerick GAA stalwart, historian and author Harry Greensmyth who passed away on Sunday night.

For many people in Limerick the name Harry Greensmyth is synonymous with GAA match reports.

A native of Boherlode, Ballyneety, Mr Greensmyth travelled the length and breadth of the county covering GAA matches for the Limerick Leader.

He was the Leader’s local notes correspondent for the Ballyneety area for the past 47 years. Each Sunday, without fail, he compiled the general news round up of the week for his native Ballyneety, and Herbertstown where he lived.

“Harry has been a loyal servant to the Limerick Leader for the past 47 years,” said Eugene Phelan, editor, Limerick Leader.

“Even as late as this week, notes came in from Harry’s email address. He had a great local knowledge and was, of course, an out and out GAA man. We wish to express our sincerest sympathies to his wife Christina and family at this sad time.”

Chairman of Limerick County Board, John Cregan, said Mr Greensmyth gave “a lifetime of service” to Limerick GAA.

“Firstly I was saddened to learn of the passing of Harry Greensmyth this morning,” said Mr Cregan.

“He was very well-known to all of us involved in Limerick GAA down through the years. Even though he experienced poor health in recent years he was very much keeping in touch with all GAA activity and gave a lifetime of service in a lot of different capacities throughout the association, as a player initially and as a coach and administrator and he was a great GAA historian as well.

“I know he was a great assistance to many clubs throughout the county when they would have been compiling their club histories. I would like to extend the sympathy of the board to his wife Christina and family and his club Hospital-Herbertstown as well at this very sad time,” he added.

Since news of Mr Greensmyth’s death on Sunday night began to filter through, GAA people across the county have taken to social media to express their sadness at the death of “a great man”. an absolute legend of GAA who coached so many kids in Hospital Herbertstown GAA club and beyond. A sad loss, a great man,” commented John Ryan.

Mr Greensmyth was honoured by the Munster Council with the Distinguished Service Award in Killarney Malton Hotel in December 2012.

While he is best known for his media work, Mr Greensmyth was a founding member of the South Liberties camogie club and he was treasurer of the Limerick camogie board during those years.

In 1972 he became involved in South Limerick Bord na nOg. In 1978 he was elected secretary of this board.

He was the first PRO of the south Limerick senior board, a position he held until recent years.

He received a McNamee award in 2004 on behalf of Garryspillane for his book The Bouncers.

He has written a history of varying GAA clubs – South Liberties, Hospital-Herbertstown, Croom, Blackrock, Garryspillane and county Bord na nOg.

His many other books include Rambling through Knockainey, Frank B Dinneen – John Flanagan – Fr. Matt Ryan a land league priest – Knockea national school with Mary Lynch – Donoughmore parish with Tom Toomey and Croom parish incorporating the GAA in Croom.

Harry has also trained many teams to win county titles from Na Fianna, Knockainey, Hospital-Herbertstown and South Liberties, the latter of which he trained to win the 1972 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship.

His position as PRO led to him into writing match reports for the Limerick Leader.

He was a well-known contributor to GAA programmes and edited numerous issues of the Limerick GAA Yearbook

PHOTOGRAPH Harry Greensmyth pictured in Herbertstown a number of years ago Picture: Dave Gaynor