SDLP mourn passing of ‘legendary’ Down GAA man Jerry Quinn

Former Down Chairman Jerry Quinn has been described by the leader of the SDLP on Newry and Mourne Council as a visionary figure in the life of the GAA both in Down and on the national stage.

The late Jerry Quinn

Councillor Connaire McGreevy was speaking on behalf of the SDLP Group after the news of Mr. Quinn’s shock death last Tuesday.

“Jerry Quinn was a man of absolute integrity and honesty. There were many times when his principled stance on controversial matters relating to the development of the GAA in Ulster brought him into debates that lesser men would have shied away from.

“Yet that was never Jerry’s way of doing things. He said it as it was and how it should be irrespective of how many feathers he may have ruffled at times. His involvement with the GAA and in particular his own Clonduff club was based on giving one hundred per cent.

“If a job, no matter how trivial in the eyes of others had to be done for the betterment of the Association he was always prepared to carry out the task. Jerry embodied the voluntary aspect of the GAA. The commitment to community and to the culture of Gaelic games was absolute, especially in the context of his home club.

McGreevy continued, “The development project undertaken by Clonduff GAC in recent years has helped transform the club facilities into some of the best in the country.

“The same single-minded focus was brought by Jerry during his tenure as County Chairman in terms of playing a significant role in the redevelopment of Pairc Esler into a magnificent stadium. The role of administrator was one that he carried easily on his shoulders, no matter how heavy the burden was at times.

“His knowledge of the game and of those who played Gaelic sport was legendary. His ability to spot a talented player early in their development cycle was invariably proved correct by the passage of time. His love of the Clonduff club was mirrored by his devotion to the cause of Down football.

SDLP Councillor Connaire McGreevy

“Over the years he was a regular figure at all of the GAA grounds across the country, taking down match notes and then translating them into exceptionally readable copy both for The Outlook and the Irish News as well as for many other national titles.

“There are countless numbers of players that have in their personal scrapbooks cuttings from match reports compiled by Jerry. To have been singled out for praise by a man of his experience was praise indeed,” the SDLP Councillor continued.

“For every follower of Gaelic sport his weekly column in the Outlook was an absolute must for anybody who wanted to hear about the inside track on all sorts of issues.

“Jerry Quinn however, despite holding all of the major legislative offices in the life of the GAA in Down was never a man who would compromise his status as an administrator in pursuit of a headline during his 46 years as a working journalist.

He added, “During his life Jerry Quinn brought enduring qualities of commitment to the cause of better community values at all levels of our society. His passing leaves a catalogue of memories in the fabric of Gaelic sport in Down that will never be matched.

“We in the SDLP express our condolences to his wife Maura and family on his sudden death.”

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Posted by Newry Times News on Dec 7 2012. Filed under Community, Sport. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry