Sudden passing of Philly Ryan numbs the county

The sense of shock that greeted the news of the sudden passing of Tipperary senior football manager Philly Ryan on Saturday hasn’t eased much in recent days as the county comes to terms with the death of a man who was a true football man.

First of all, Philly was a proud Clonmel Commercials clubman, and a stalwart of Tipperary football, both as a player and in his later role as manager and coach. His contribution to Gaelic football in the county was immense, and his loss will be felt deeply across the GAA community.

At club level with Clonmel Commercials, he won multiple Tipperary Senior Football Championship medals — including titles in 1986, 1989, 1990 & 2002.

At inter-county level, he joined the Tipperary senior panel in 1987 and served steadily until his retirement following the 2003 championship. As first-choice goalkeeper for Tipperary, he also captained the county side on several occasions, including in his debut year 1990 and in 1995 when they claimed the All-Ireland Senior ‘B’ title. At management level, he was involved as an underage selector with the under 21’s in 2006 and managed the minors in 2007 & 2008, the latter reaching a Munster Final where the Conor Sweeney captained team lost to Kerry after a replay.

Since then, he has been heavily involved with his beloved Clonmel Commercials who he managed to the 2012 senior title and had been a coach with them in recent years, prior to being appointed as Tipperary senior manager in August of last year, bringing his rich playing and coaching experience to the role.

In a statement, Tipperary GAA said: “Philly’s leadership, genuine commitment and passion for the cause of football in Tipperary were evident both on and off the field.

“He epitomised the values of dedication, teamwork and unwavering club-and-county loyalty. Under his management, the county football team had shown encouraging signs of progress and ambition.

“The loss of Philly Ryan is a great blow to Tipperary football. We honour his memory, his service and his love of the game — and we commit to carry forward his legacy of ambition and community spirit.”

Philly Ryan passed away on Saturday prior to going to watch his beloved Clonmel Commercials in the county intermediate football semi-final against Rockwell Rovers, which was postponed, as was the senior semi-final between Commercials and Upperchurch/Drombane due to take place the following day.

Proud Clubman

Clonmel Commercials issued a beautifully poignant reflection of “our special friend, coach, mentor and dedicated club legend Philly Ryan.”

It continued: “It is hard to sum up such a man in words, he dedicated so much of his life to the GAA in Tipperary and to our club especially. One of the county’s most respected football men and a proud servant of both Clonmel Commercials and Tipperary across several decades.

“His days on the playing pitch may be monumental but it was in his coaching endeavours that he found his true passion. Philly gave his life to our club and his county guiding underage and senior teams with his knowledge and kindness. Our club was led to much success under Philly as manager and as selector with our senior team.

“In 2012 Philly led the seniors to their first county final win since 2002 when Philly had played himself. August 2024, an extremely proud moment for Philly and the club, he was appointed as Senior Football Manager of Tipperary.

“For as long as the game of Gaelic football is spoken of in this area and beyond the name of Philly Ryan will always be remembered. His contribution is immeasurable but his legacy will last for many years through his son Shane who follows in his footsteps as a Commercials and Tipperary Goalkeeper and his two loving daughters Amy and Katie.

“He will be sadly missed for his dedication but more so for his warmth and guidance. All within the club will miss him deeply and in many ways he will be irreplaceable.

“Despite this, the burden of this loss will fall on his family and friends. We as a club send our deepest sympathy to Anna, Amy, Katie and Shane, his extended family and all of Philly’s wide circle of friends. May his soul rest peacefully.

“A club legend forever and always. We will honour his memory, his devoted service, and his lifelong love for the game, to which we owe a lasting debt of gratitude.

“Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.”

National Sympathy

Uachtarán CLG Jarlath Burns extended the sympathies of the wider Association to the family and friends of the late Philly Ryan.

“The football community in Tipperary is an extremely tight knit family and our thoughts and prayers are with them as they mourn the loss of one of their great leaders in Philly Ryan,” he began.

“Philly typifies the glue that keeps GAA clubs and communities together, a man synonymous with service and duty and a sense of giving back.

"As a player and a coach, he left a lasting impact on all those he came into contact with, and I have no doubt that he will be forever fondly remembered in Clonmel and beyond by all of those who were lucky to call him a friend.”

Funeral details

Philly Ryan is survived by his wife Anna, son Shane (current Tipperary senior football goalkeeper), daughters Amy & Katie, and his extended family. Philly’s funeral mass will take place today (Wednesday) at St. Peter & Paul’s Church, Clonmel at 1.00pm with burial afterwards in St Patrick’s Cemetery. Ar dhies De go raibh a anam.