Mr O'Donoghue (85) had used his many talents to benefit the local community as a psychiatric nurse, union activist, political supporter, passionate sportsman and stalwart member of the Legion club. Hundreds queued for more than an hour to pay their respects at the removal of his remains to Saint Mary's Cathedral on Tuesday night. Requiem Mass took place at 10.30am on Wednesday. The outpouring of sympathy was especially heartfelt because the O'Donoghue family is already grieving the loss of two daughters, Teresa Kelly and Mary O'Donoghue who died in the past 18 months. Mr O'Donoghue died at Kerry General Hospital on Sunday afternoon, having been involved in a single car accident near his home at 10.20am that morning. His injuries were minor but he is believed to have suffered a heart attack. Growing up in Lissivigeen, he was very involved in the local GAA club and was chairman of East Kerry Board for five years during the 1950s. He worked at Saint Finan's from 1947 to 1986. He became chairman of the hospital football club in the mid-1950s and was instrumental in the setting up of the rowing club. He brought his winning touch to Killarney in 1983 when a Legion/Crokes alliance won the County Championship. He had the honour of seeing three generations of his family play in Croke Park. He became chairman of Legion in 1976 and held the post for five years. A member of the field committee, he toiled with the clubmen at Derreen to develop the two playing pitches. As a county board delegate, he attended over half a century of GAA conventions. He was a SIPTU official, and a member of the Labour Party and the South Kerry Independent Alliance. As a member of the Kidney Association, he championed the setting up of the dialysis unit in Kerry General. James was also a great conversationalist whose company was prized at his local, Linehans . He is survived by his wife, Lily, and children, Anne, Peggy, Eilish, Donal, Diarmuid, Kathleen and Seamus. He is pre-deceased by Seamusu and Teresa. - Kerry's Eye, 13th November 2008 Tweet

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