There are many stories told about Paddy 'Papa' Brosnan, a loveable Tralee character who died at the beginning of August. Mike O'Donnell, from Riverside, a great friend of Papa, as he was more affectionately known, writes this lovely tribute to him.
"Papa was one of the great characters of Tralee. The familiar figure of Papa dressed in his beloved green and gold jersey belied that he was born in Patrick's Hill in Cork where his father Patrick served with the Irish Army. His mother Mary was from West Kerry.
"Papa grew up in Day Place and Mitchel's Crescent before settling in the bungalows in Balloonagh Estate where he spent the last 20 years with his sister Ann and later with brother Jerry who had also served in the Army.
"I came to know Papa when he was a paperboy in the mid 50s selling papers for Mary Coffey, mother of the well-known 'paperman' Batty Coffey.
"In his teens Papa worked in the building industry and worked for Dinny Riley, Pembroke Street, Tom O'Brien and finally Sean O'Connor.
"When he was with Dinny Riley he saved Dinny from serious injury when a ladder slipped and trapped Dinny. Papa climbed to his rescue.
"Papa was an avid sportsman and a member of John Mitchel's Football club and he loved playing handball in the town park where many great local handballers such as the Downeys, McEllistrim brothers, Billy Moyles. It was playing with the builders in the inter firm league in the 70s in the low field you would often hear the chant "Bring on Papa".

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"Papa was doing a job for my father at our home in Riverside in the mid 50s, my sister Ann and her friend John Shanahan were smoking in the hayseed (which they were not supposed to be doing) and they set fire to the shed.
"The fire was spotted by Papa and he tackled the fire with a group who were playing tennis in the courts at the back of Oaklands Shop.
"Papa set up a bucket brigade from the big river and had the fire under control before the Fire Brigade led by Con Gorman arrived.
"I worked with Papa when, as a 17 year old, Roger Harty asked me to clear the chutes over the shop and Papa helped me. We had to climb through the skylight onto the roof valley which put us over the chutes.
"Papa was to let me down the roof on a rope and I would work my way along the chutes. I had the rope tied around me and I told Papa to tie the other end to him.
"You're coming too if I fall over," I told Papa, who duly produced a pen knife to cut the rope and said, "If you go, you can go by yourself."
"Papa was a great worker and was a firm favourite in our house and was always recommended if a job needed to be done. He never let you down and worked hard.
"Papa leaves behind his sister Ann, brothers Jerry, Denis who has been out of Tralee for many years and Sean who lives in Connolly Park.
"If the world was filled with the likes of Papa Brosnan it would be a better place."
-Mike O'Donnell, Riverside

Kerry's Eye, 5th September 2013 Tweet

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