We pay tribute to the late Pat McCarthy, whose weekly road bowling column for The Southern Star spanned 21 years
*****
PAT McCarthy’s love and passion for road bowling was unwavering and unmatched. Even in those final days before his passing it was his priority, an insight into what made him an incredible ambassador for his sport.
On Sunday, September 1st, and on the Monday that followed, Pat – like he had done for the past 21 years – submitted his road bowling notes for his weekly Southern Star column. The ultimate professional, he never missed a deadline, not even in his final days.
Sadly, by the time his column appeared in the Star on Thursday September 5th, Pat had passed away peacefully the previous day at his home in Benduff, Rosscarbery.
Readers of the Star will have noted how Pat’s incredibly comprehensive bowling notes never carried his name, but that was always his wish. Modest and unassuming, he wanted bowling to be in the spotlight, not him. Thanks to Pat, road bowling has always been centre stage on the sports pages of his weekly newspaper, as he kept West Cork up to date with all the news in the wonderful world of road bowling. He delivered week after week, year after year.
From high-profile senior scores right down to underage level, Pat knew of every bowl that was thrown in his home patch. It’s why when he started writing for the Star in March 2003, succeeding his friend Christy Santry, Pat insisted on having a Carbery bowling column too. There were two reasons for this – his pride in West Cork sport and his respect for bowlers of all levels, from the upper tiers to the lower. Think of the thousands of names he mentioned in his column in the past 21 years, often linked to their townland; that was important to Pat, that pride of place, and that every bowler deserved recognition. He delivered – and more.
‘It was in his capacity as a writer that his talents shone brightest – he was a prolific writer, a master wordsmith. He wrote with a command and love of his subject in a manner that few others could emulate,’ says Christy Santry, who gave an oration at Pat’s burial at Ardagh Burial Ground on Saturday. Christy’s right – Pat’s words flowed, taking the reader on a journey every week, capturing the beauty of bowling in his own imitable writing style.
‘The name Pat McCarthy was synonymous with the sport of road bowling for the past two decades and beyond.
‘His was a household name, not alone in his beloved West Cork, but also over the border in Armagh, on places like the Cathedral Road, the Knappagh Road, Newtownhamilton, Madden and over the border into the village of Eglish in Tyrone.
‘He was highly revered in the overseas bowling outposts of Boston, New York and West Virginia.’
The huge respect that Pat garnered over the years was earned and deserved. He became the PRO of Ból Chumann and a member of the executive in 2003. He quickly developed into a lynchpin in the association. The voice of experience and reason, his words carried weight. He was a rock for his sport.
‘In the cauldron of the monthly executive meeting, Pat came very much into his own,’ Chrisy Santry adds.
‘Much of his hard work was often behind the scenes and often extended beyond the call of duty. He was a quiet man, an able companion and a man at times of very few words, but for all that he was a determined man, a man whose quiet manner hid a very powerful and very firm character.’
Pat McCarthy (centre) at the European Bowling Championships in Germany earlier this year.
Road bowling legend Gretta Cormican knew Pat better than most. Her photos added a splash of colour to his weekly column. Together, this road bowling dream team worked well. Gretta’s bowling books, including Glory Days – A Complete History of Road Bowling All-Ireland Finals 1963-2013, had Pat’s fingerprints all over them. His attention to detail was one of his great strengths as a writer.
‘Pat was so passionate about road bowling,’ Gretta says.
‘He was so well respected and his opinion was always taken into consideration; he was such a solid figure.
‘Pat was a very good friend to me, whenever I needed advice Pat was the go-to man. When I was writing the two books, he was on my left-hand side all the time. We had so many meetings, he wanted to make sure we had the right picture with the right caption, and we’d go through it all. Whatever he took on, it was to perfection.’
Pat’s pursuit of perfection saw him stand apart in the crowd as a man whose love for all things road bowling was infectious. He was an ever-present at West Cork Sports Star awards when local bowlers were honoured. He loved that bowling has an international outlet in the European championships, and made the trip to Germany in May for the latest installment. That passion for his sport was resolute.
‘He loved nothing more than attending scores on the high roads and byroads throughout West Cork, and around the country,’ his daughter Deirdre told the congregation at St Fachtna's Parish Church in Rosscarbery at Pat’s funeral mass on Saturday.
The irony wasn’t lost on Deirdre that her dad, such was his modesty, would have shook his head at the reflections of his life well lived, but Pat deserves to stand in the spotlight; his contributions to all facets of life deserve to be recognised. Away from the road, his impact was huge, too. The beloved husband to his late wife Catherine (née Crowley). A great dad to Deirdre and Brian, a dad who always helped out with the homework. A doting grandfather to his grandson Shay. A proud West Cork man who lived in both Benduff in Rosscarbery and in Drinagh. A huge Arsenal supporter. A fan of all sports with a passion for reading and writing. A man with a great work ethic, and who worked for Carbery Group in Ballineen for 48 years until his retirement in 2018.
Fittingly, Pat got the send off he deserved, with his beloved road bowling community saluting one of its most important figures.
On August 16th, Pat made the trip to Rosscarbery for the unveiling of a road bowling mural near the start line on the famed Cahermore bowling road. He spoke about his family’s connection to the famous bowling song, ‘The Flower of Cahermore’, written by his granduncle. On Saturday morning, after his funeral mass, Pat was taken to the start of the Cahermore road one last time. His bowling community was giving back to him, like he had given so much to them. Fitting, too, that Mick Russell, a leading player in a golden era for Drinagh – like Pat, also a grand nephew of Felix McCarthy – gave a moving rendition of the ‘The Flower of Cahermore’ to a hushed graveside. It was the send off he deserved.
Rest easy, Pat.
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