Paddy was a gentleman and a stalwart of Emly GAA Club

The late Paddy Clancy was a stalwart of Emly GAA and his loss is deeply regretted by so many.
The following is a personal tribute from Michael O’Dwyer:

The first contact I had with the Clancy family was when Pat Clancy, John and Paddy’s father, played the fiddle along with my father, Tom O’Dwyer in our kitchen – a very happy memory. Paddy’s father and mother were good customers in our shop and John was very often in the shop on his way home from the creamery.

In school John and my brother Bill were in the same class and became lifelong friends. Paddy was two years younger than John.

The first match I saw an Emly team playing was against Shronell National School in Juvenile hurling in Lattin in 1945.
The Emly team wore a mixture of black and amber and red and white jerseys. Emly suffered a heavy defeat. Paddy Hartnett (also known as Garret) was a star full back for Shronell. He was from the Boro Road.
John Clancy was a member of that team.

In 1951 I remember Paddy playing his first match with County Tipperary minor footballers against Limerick at Kilmallock when he was aged 16.

He played left half back. Wearing the blue and gold for the first time on the county team was a very proud occasion. He played on the county minor team for three years – a great record.
John and Paddy were on the Emly minor football team when the team won the West in 1951.

John and Paddy soon graduated to the Emly junior and senior football teams. Emly had a senior football team from 1949 on having won the West junior final in 1948. Emly had some great matches against Bansha (Galtee Rovers) during the 1950s. Bansha had a very good team and won a Tipperary county final.
I was lucky to attend many of these matches. From 1953 on John and Paddy were members of the Emly Senior football team.

I remember seeing John and Paddy playing at right and left corner forward against Bansha.
At last Emly won the West Tipperary 1959 senior football final with Paddy as captain. He received the Hennessy Cup (the presenter, Brother Hennessy was a native of the village).
Paddy was always a stylish skilful footballer. Emly were also winners of the trophy the following year.

When Paddy left school I often called to the coal store at the railway where he was working. When the store closed Paddy went to work in S.B Walsh’s shop in Kilmallock. In the early 1970s he changed to Denis Coakleys hardware shop in Limerick city until 1991. He was very happy and successful there. After retirement he continued to work on the farm. Paddy purchased O’Meara’s farm at the other side of the road and he managed this farm. Paddy always kept fit through his farm work and walking.

John was a member of the Emly GAA committee for many years. Paddy became secretary of the club in 1957 and held this position until 1968. He was chairman from 1985 to 1988. For thirty-one years he was an officer of the club. He trained many

Emly teams including the Emly Intermediate team when they won the Tipperary county championship in 1983. Paddy and John always collected information on Emly teams and matches. When I was editor of the Emly GAA History Paddy constantly supplied me with information and photographs. He always had answers to my phone call questions. He has been a great servant to Emly.

Every year when Bill and myself called to Emly on our annual visit we always paid a most enjoyable visit to John and Paddy. Following his death everyone referred to Paddy as a “gentleman”- a most fitting description. His death was very sad and his funeral was attended by a large crowd, many who had come long distances to be there. He will be deeply regretted by all who knew him especially by his brother John, his sisters and his many friends and neighbours.