WARM tributes have been paid to the late Johnny Cronin, a Killarney man who was honoured with a hugely deserved lifetime achievement award by his beloved Spa GAA Club in 2015.
The club said it was with great sadness that members learned the sad news of his passing and they described him as a great and dedicated clubman.
Spa GAA will form a guard of honour at the funeral as a final mark of respect to a stalwart who was presented with the club’s biggest honour by then chairman Gerard Mangan four years ago.
Johnny, who was aged 72, lived in Coolcorcoran but was born and reared in Tiernaboul.
An outstanding footballer, he won seven O’Donoghue Cup medals with Spa as well as a county intermediate championship medal in 1974 and a county league division one title two years later. He was also a member of the star-studded East Kerry divisional side that won the inaugural All-Ireland Club Championship in 1971 with a victory over Bryansford of Co Down.
When he hung up his boots, Johnny became an astute and valued selector with the club for several years and he devoted most of his social life to the club he loved.
He initially worked in the Pretty Polly factory and later joined the maintenance team in the Torc Great Southern Hotel before he became maintenance man at St Brendan’s College.
Paying tribute to his fellow Spa clubman and great friend, Mayor of Killarney, Cllr Michael Gleeson, said Johnny Cronin was a tremendously dedicated and hardworking man, a gifted handyman who always gave 100 per cent to everything he did.
“He was a tremendous clubman and his great love in life, after his family, was Spa GAA Club where he was greatly valued and appreciated,” the mayor said.
“Johnny was always joyful and fill of life, always seeing the funny side of everything. Every time I met him it was a pure joy,” Cllr Gleeson added.
Johnny is survived his wife, Margaret (née Mangan) and he is the loving father of Donagh, Colm, Eoin, Cormac and his late baby daughter Edel.
Predeceased recently by his sister Betty, he is further survived by his daughter-in-law Alma, grandsons Ryan and Dylan, brother Freddie, sister Mary, mother-in-law Mary Mangan, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and many other relatives and friends.
Reposing at O’Shea’s Funeral Home, Killarney on this Wednesday from 4.30pm to 6.30pm, removal will take place afterwards to St Mary’s Cathedral. Requiem Mass will be on Thursday at 10.30am with burial afterwards in Aghadoe Cemetery, Killarney.
The family has asked for donations in lieu of flowers, if desired, to be made to Palliative Care.
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