TRIBUTES have been paid to a West Cork voice across the Boston airwaves, following the death of Clonakilty’s Brian O’Donovan, who died on Friday October 6th following a battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer.
The 66-year-old who grew up on Ashe Street in Clonakilty, where his dad ran a butcher shop, was the host of the very popular GBH radio show A Celtic Sojourn for more than 35 years. He was the second youngest of nine children and graduated from UCC in 1978, before moving to Boston in 1980, following some time living in London.
Posting on their website, Susan Goldberg, chief executive and president of GBH said Brian’s warmth to his colleagues, and his deep commitment to the mission of GBH, will be greatly missed.
‘His passion for music and his sheer joy in sharing it was abundantly clear to GBH listeners, whether on his weekly show or his spirited live events,’ she said.
Brian was also the force behind A Christmas Celtic Sojourn which which was a mix of live music, dancing, and storytelling and was a must see event each December in Boston.
As well as having a successful broadcasting career, Brian worked in professional sport and was former vice-president of operations at the New England Patriots football team. He was also the former general manager of US soccer team New England Revolution. He also booked musical acts like U2, Madonna, Aerosmith to play at the Gillette Stadium in the 1980s.
Robert and Jonathan Kraft of the New England Revolution soccer club also paid tribute to him and said Brian ‘was universally respected by all who knew him and had a warmth, intelligence and joy for life that left an indelible mark on those around him.
‘Brian’s leadership helped us bring the Fifa World Cup to Foxboro Stadium for the first time in 1994. His legacy is woven into the fabric of Boston and the city’s distinct Irish American culture, and his influence will be felt for years to come, especially by all those who had the pleasure of knowing him.’
Such was his enormous contribution to the cultural landscape of Boston, the mayor of Boston declared De- cember 14th 2017 as ‘Brian O’Donovan Day’ in the city of Boston.
Speaking to The Southern Star at the time, Brian, who moved to Boston in 1980, said it was a complete surprise to him.
‘I must admit being chuffed and took it more as the recognition of my arts advocacy and activism, rather than of me personally,’ he said.
Brian’s funeral service, which was also livestreamed, took place on Wednesday October 11th at the First Church in Cambridge near Harvard.
He is survived by his wife Lindsay and his children Aoife, Ciaran, Aidan, and Nuala and his eight siblings Aileen Murphy, Millie Potter, Meg Hickey, Ann O’Brien, Michael, James and Ray.
