Bill O’Herlihy provided the soundtrack to our sporting lives. His was not the role to kick or puck the winning ball, to breast the tape or throw the knockout punch. But he was there at every one of those moments that became part of our lives.
Most famously this was at the birth of ‘New Ireland’ when Italia ’90 changed the way we saw ourselves. Bill’s ‘Fantastic’ spreading of his arms was the moment captured. Unplanned perhaps but instinctively nailing how everyone felt.
I had the pleasure to know and work alongside him. He was a golfing buddy of my Dad in the 1990’s and they were part of a gang that would slip away to Portugal and other far flung places for stories, the odd glass and 18 holes of chat and friendship.
Ten years ago I spent a year at O’Herlihy Communications, following in the footsteps of people like Mick O’Keefe, Brid Rosney, Ian McClure and many more that had helped leverage the essence of ‘Billo’ into the world of corporate communications.
Even in discussions over detail and budgets you could never get away from the fact that it was Bill O’Herlihy sitting across the desk. He was the same engaging person in business as he was in painting the picture of the great sporting moments of the TV age. He was unstinting in his love and support for his family Hilary, Sally and especially Jill who worked alongside him at that time.
There is no doubt he loved being Bill O’Herlihy. He was grounded yes, but he was acutely aware of how lucky he felt to be in the limelight as the nation’s favourite uncle.
His catchphrases became part of our national language. In many ways the tributes that were so fulsomely heaped upon him at the time of his retirement last year were almost a dress rehearsal for today’s outpouring of love and affection.
Bill would have revelled in that, not in a vain way but as a reminder to himself of how much he had enjoyed his years at all the world’s greatest sporting events, despite rarely if ever being there in person.
It is a cruel blow that his time away from the cameras has been cut so short but he enjoyed every minute, being present at the IFTA’s on Sunday night before ‘leaving it there’ peacefully at home.
RTE broadcast this tribute to Bill on his retirement. It reflects well the indelible mark he left on so many lives.
May he rest in peace.
Bill O’Herlihy’s Funeral arrangements have been confirmed. He will repose at Fanagans Funeral Home in Dundrum on Thursday from 4-7pm. The Funeral mass will take place at 1130 on Friday at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Foxrock followed by burial at Shanganagh Cemetery. Family flowers only have been requested with donations, if desired, to St Vincent de Paul Society.
