Tipperary village mourns 'an absolutely incredible man who was everybody's back up'

The village of Ardfinnan is in mourning this week after the sad passing of Paddy Noonan (69) Clougharden, on Sunday morning at Tipperary University Hospital after a long illness, bravely borne.

When contacted in relation to Paddy’s death, an Ardfinnan GAA Club officer told The Nationalist that “people outside of Ardfinnan will have no idea of the impact the loss of Paddy Noonan is having and will have on the village. While Paddy was a well-known and lifelong GAA club member, he was also much bigger than the GAA to us. He was involved in everything that went on in the village and there was nothing that happened about the place that Paddy Noonan wouldn’t lend a hand to help out with, he added.

The spokesperson went on to add, in light-hearted yet full appreciation of Paddy’s trojan efforts, that “we might have to hold a public meeting to sort out what we will actually do now that he is gone. Such is the impact of Paddy’s loss to us all and his involvement in so much about the community. I can put it no simpler than to say he was ‘everybody’s back up’. Whether it was the school, the parish, the Vincent de Paul, the GAA Club, Paddy was there behind the scenes doing as much if not more than anyone else right across the board. He was an absolutely incredible man, he said.

In another of his many roles of unselfish service to his community, Paddy was also the parish administrator and sacristan for the last number of years.

A great supporter of Tipperary football always, the late Paddy Noonan is pictured at Semple Stadium, Thurles, for the National Football League game against Leitrim in February 2022.

GAA followers locally and much further afield will all greatly miss Paddy’s presence at fixtures going forward. He was Ardfinnan GAA Club’s longest serving officer holding many roles down the decades. In his youth he played with the club and was a proud holder of a county minor football medal. After his playing days he took on many roles and was also an umpire for top inter-county referees Willie Barrett and more recently Derek O’Mahoney. With the team, Paddy proudly umpired an All-Ireland final at Croke Park as well as featuring in many other big games on the national stage over the years.

But whether it was Croke Park, the field in Ardfinnan, or anywhere and everywhere in between at GAA venues, Paddy Noonan was always a pleasure for everyone to meet up with and couldn’t be more helpful if there was ever anything he could assist with. When not directly involved, Paddy loved to go and see games and was at a great number of All-Ireland finals in both codes down the years, often travelling to them with his late uncle Tom Ahearn.

Besides the GAA, Paddy loved quizzes, and he was also a lifelong member of the Pioneer and Total Abstinence Group. And while he never bothered with drink himself, he was the best of company in a pub regardless and was never hard on any young lads who on occasion might have gone a little overboard at times.

His enormous efforts were always greatly appreciated in Ardfinnan and in Tipperary and will be eternally remembered. He was the recipient of a Canon Hayes Award a few years back and more recently he was awarded a Tipperary County Council Volunteer Award by chairman and local man Micheál Anglim.

We offer our condolences to his niece Valerie, nephews Noel and Michael and other relatives. 

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Reposing at Ardfinnan GAA Hall on Tuesday afternoon from 4 pm, with removal at 7 pm to the Holy Family Church, Ardfinnan, arriving at 7.30pm.  Funeral Mass on Wednesday at 11 am, with burial afterwards in St Finnian’s Cemetery, Ardfinnan.