FORMAL approval has been granted to dedicate a busy roundabout in Killarney to the memory of the late great basketball superstar Paudie O’Connor.
The former top class international basketball player, who was also Mayor of Killarney on four occasions, is to be honoured by Killarney Municipal District Council who will name the roundabout linking Lewis Road with St Anne’s Road in his honour.
The location is close to the former O’Connor family home in O’Sullivan’s Place.
As revealed on KillarneyToday.com last January, the proposal to dedicated the roundabout was tabled by Mayor of Killarney Cllr John Sheahan who is a member of the Fine Gale party Paudie served so well during his lifetime.
Paudie passed away last May in the US where he had lived since 1986 and where he was a high-profile golf tour promoter. He was 66 years of age at the time of his untimely passing.
A former Presentation Monastery and St Brendan’s College pupil, Paudie was a member of Killarney Urban District Council from 1974 to 1985, serving as a popular and charismatic chairman on four occasions, in 1978, 1980, 1982 and 1984. He was a member of Kerry County Council from 1979 to 1985.
A legend in Irish basketball circles, 6’4” Paudie was a star player and he enjoyed great success with his hometown St Vincent’s club as well as captaining the Irish basketball team at a time when he was deemed the finest point guard in Europe. He became the only Irish player ever to make the first five of a European All-Star team.
Paudie is the second Killarney sports star to have a roundabout named after them. Olympic race walker Gillian O’Sullivan, who won a 20km walk silver medal at the world championship in 2003, is honoured at the Lissivigeen roundabout on the main Killarney-Cork road.
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