The death of Dan Favier from Glenflesk, which occurred unexpectedly at home, marks the passing of a great Kerry GAA stalwart who dedicated so much time and energy to the game he loved, at a club, district and county level.
A long-time administrator with Glenflesk and the East Kerry Board, his contribution to the association was immense and, in particular, he had a very successful prolonged term as treasurer of the divisional organisation from 1994 until 2005.
Making it a real family commitment, his late brother, Joe, served as PRO of the board, while his another brother, Pat, has been both chairman and secretary.
Dan, from Curraglass, was honoured with the East Kerry Personality of the Year Award in 2014 and, highly regarded by all as one of life’s true gentlemen, he was a hugely popular recipient.
He was also very actively involved with the East Kerry senior, under 21 and minor teams and he relished the string of championship successes, at all levels, enjoyed by the district board in recent years, not least the 2022 all-conquering performance with a star-studded squad sponsored by his son’s business, The Shire.
Dan was, perhaps, prouder still over the years of Glenflesk’s victories in the East Kerry Senior Football Championship (O’Donoghue Cup) and the Millennium Cup in 2000.
A great community activist, he was always ready to play his part whenever something was happening in the parish. Locals knew if Dan Favier was asked to do a job it would be done – and done well.
A postman for over 40 years, he left his native place, at the age of 18, to work with the Department of Posts and Telegraphs in Dublin, spending nine years in the capital but in 1972 he returned to Killarney where he worked for 25 years.
In 1997 he transferred to his native parish and delivered post in the Headford and Clonkeen area until he hung up his satchel and retired in March 2006.
Dan was a volunteer with the Glenflesk Parish Council for many years and he also served on the board of management in the local national school for 16 years, always with something valuable to contribute.
Away from the playing fields, he was keenly interested in the cultural aspects of the GAA and was a great advocate for Scór, both at juvenile and senior level.
It was a source of great pride to Dan when Glenflesk brought the All-Ireland Scór Sinsear set dancing title back to the parish in 2003 and again in 2012, particularly as his son, Paul and daughter Danielle were among the dancers that featured.
In addition to his involvement with Scór, Dan was very active in the Glenflesk branch of Comhaltas Ceolteoiri Éireann for many years.
Always helpful and forever obliging, he was always one of the first men to volunteer his services as a steward for GAA games and he played a valuable role on match days in Fitzgerald Stadium, most recently in the familiar position of guiding those requiring special assistance to get to and from their seats via the in-stadium elevator.
Dan is survived by his wife, Marian, daughters Sinéad and Danielle, sons Ciarán, Paul and Ollie, and 10 grandchildren.
He is further survived by his daughters-in-law, Edel, Corinna and Siobhán, son-in-law Kieran O’Halloran, brothers John, Pat, Michael and Anthony, sisters Margaret and Mary Ann, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours and friends.
He reposed at Murphy’s Funeral Home, Barraduff and the funeral arrived to St Agatha’s Church, Glenflesk for Requiem Mass after which burial took place Killaha Cemetery.
