Basil’s great sporting love was Rugby and he joined Athy for the 1962/63 season as a young man and he quickly established himself as a wing forward par excellence. His former team colleagues tell me that although he was not a big man, he was a speedy strong player. He was captain of the team that last won the Second’s Cup way back in 1972. He also served the club with distinction at committee level and he was President of the club in the 1991/92 & 1992/93 seasons.

Basil was a very well liked man and the large turn out at the church last night was a clear testimony to that fact. It was nice to hear the Minister speak in such glowing terms of Basil, in particular his love of his family and his farm.