Pat Sweeney Obituary, Fossa GAA Club Mourns Pat Sweeney Death – Death Cause
Pat Sweeney Obituary, Death – As the terrible news of our esteemed President of our club Pat Sweeney’s death broke Wednesday afternoon, club members were saddened. Pat was a cornerstone of our club throughout its whole history, getting engaged as a mentor with our under-14 and under-16 teams from the beginning. Pat became our second treasurer in 1971, and when we fielded our first senior team in 1973, he was our secretary as well as a selector alongside the late Tom Long and Sean Conlon.
He served as our Chairman from 1978 to 1982, and then as senior team manager from 1983 to 1986. In the centennial year of 1984, his side won the East Kerry Super League. Pat served as Vice Chairman of the East Kerry Board for seven years, from 1990 to 1996, and then as Chairman for five years, from 1997 to 2001. Pat was overjoyed when East Kerry won three County Championships in 1997, 1998, and 1999. In 2003, he returned to Fossa as a secondary selector.
He was elected Vice Chairman in 2004 and served for three years before returning as Chairperson for two years in 2007 and 2008. The triumph in the East Kerry Superleague in 2007 was a highlight. In 2016, he became the club’s third President, following in the footsteps of Fr James Galvin and Michael Clifford snr. His first year saw further success, with Fossa winning the County Junior Championship for the first time.
He has actively followed all of our teams since then, but his biggest regret was that ill health prevented him from attending Croke Park on Sunday, January 15th, 2023, to see his beloved Fossa’s All-Ireland Junior Championship victory. Pat will be missed by many. He was the club’s primary advisor for many years, and his journey with Fossa can be seen in many excellent images hanging in the clubhouse, showing Pat as a trainer, mentor, and administrator.
