John steadied the ship through a great storm
John O’Donoghue of Kylepark, Borrisokane, passed away on June 2 2025 in University Hospital Limerick after a short illness, surrounded by his family. He was 81-years-old.
Ten years previously he suffered a massive heart attack, which he miraculously survived due to his son John being with him to perform CPR and the medical services arriving on time.
I had known John since 1972 as a neighbour of mine, but it wasn’t until 1992 that I really got to know him through our participation in the Ballyfinboy Drainage Scheme.
In 1982 a group of 26 farmers formed a committee to drain part of the Ballyfinboy river from Borrisokane to its outfall beyond Ballinderry, into Lough Derg.
The Department of Agriculture at the time surveyed the river and drew up a plan, and we as farmers undertook to engage a contractor to carry out the necessary works. To say it was a big undertaking was an understatement. This section of the river was seven miles long and had five county council bridges to underpin. The job started in 1982 and was completed two years later.
The journey for our committee was very difficult because we were learning as we went along - and it was a steep learning curve.
The fallout from this endeavour was very stressful for all the farmers involved as legal issues were encountered.
The result of this was a month spent in the High Court in the summer of 1992 and a ruling against us farmers left them with a big bill to pay plus our legal fees.
Our committee was in crisis and the blame game started. Fr O’Connor from Terryglass parish intervened at the time and John O’Donoghue was voted chairman of the committee.
JOHN WAS OUR CAPTAIN
Our committee could have been likened to a ship at sea in a great storm. We were in a gale and huge waves were crashing our boughs. John, as our captain, took the tiller in his hand and steadied our ship. And he eventually brought our ship safely to port.
A quiet man with a steely resolve, he had been in the background up to this point. It was not until we reached crisis that John put his hand up.
John was a man of integrity. It was during this time that I got to really know him, and the same could be said for my fellow committee members.
The old saying: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” comes to mind. We also had great friends that came on board to help us.
The late, Gerry Slevin, who was Editor of the Nenagh Guardian at the time, gave us a lot of publicity, which turned into sympathy and support from the community.
Joe Hannigan, Kilbarron, donated a shed to raffle and raise money. Rúaidhrí Deasy, the late Stephen Liffey and the late John Guest of IFA worked tirelessly to help our situation.
The late Jim Gill of Newtown, who was our engineer, became our friend, mentor, and our therapist! We will be forever grateful for their support.
Over the years a lot of our members have passed away and a heavenly committee is being formed. John O’ Donoghue, our chairman, has now joined them in Heaven.
May he rest in peace.
RD