Widespread regret at the passing of the legend that was Tommy Lynch..Condolences to all of Tommy's Family. Tommy was a wonderful servant to Cork GAA. He was the face of Pairc Ui Chaoimh and Pairc Ui Rinn an ever present figure. Tommy will be so missed by everyone who knew him. Many tributes and stories will be told and re told over the coming days as we say farewell to the great Tommy.

Cork GAA Officials paid tribute on the Cork GAA Website saying 

A sad day for Cork GAA was how the death of Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Pairc Uí Rinn groundsman Tommy Lynch was described on Wednesday. Tommy, 91, passed away at St Finbarr’s Hospital on Wednesday. Tommy was a well-known figure in GAA circles, who had a deep love for the sport and a passion for his work.
Tommy supported his local Knocknaheeny Club, St Vincents and was a well-known character among players and executives of Cork GAA, regaling them with stories from his 43 years of service. Tommy was described as the “go-to” man for games and concerts at the two stadiums.
Tommy had one son, Anthony and one daughter, Marian and he retired just three years ago from his role at the stadiums.

Cork G.A.A. Chairman Marc Sheehan led tributes to Tommy Lynch who passed away on Wednesday  describing him as a genial and committed figure who was well known and highly regarded by all who encountered him in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Páirc Uí Rinn over many years.

“Tommy was a great character , blessed with that great Cork city wit and charm who  above all  was fiercely loyal to Cork Inter county Teams and clubs teams by aiding their preparations and match day visits to the stadia.

He took immense pride in his work in both stadia and enjoyed the banter with  the various visitors whom he encountered – always good for a ‘ ball hop’ and the odd good humored ‘jab’ as well. Scores of former Cork players, team mentors, Board officers and club members will fondly remember him and will recount many stories and yarns at this sad time”.

Cork GAA Secretary Kevin O’ Donovan said “Tommy Lynch stands as a true giant amongst the many unsung heroes of Cork GAA, all those that make the organisation thrive on a daily basis. He marked time for over a half-century of service from the Athletic Grounds to Páirc Uí Rinn, from the original Páirc Uí Chaoimh to the latest model. No Cork match of training session will ever be the same without Tommy’s customary wit and indeed his eagerness to help those who were lucky enough to pass through his hands. Sincere sympathies to all his family and friends. He will be a great loss, but there will be joy too in remembering the great colour he gave to us all over an incredible tenure”

At Rest now Tommy  – a long life well lived . Ar dheis a Dé go raibh a anam.

Sympathy to his family and friends at this time.

Irish Examiner report 

TONY LEEN AND MICHAEL MOYNIHAN

Tommy Lynch, Cork GAA’s original greeter at the gates of Páirc Ui Chaoimh, both for its 1976 opening and 2018 redevelopment, has passed away. He was 91.

From the northside of Cork city, Tommy Lynch’s first unpaid posting for the GAA was on the gates of the old Athletic Grounds. All told, until his retirement two years ago, it is estimated that he has served in a voluntary and paid capacity for Cork GAA for north of fifty years.

Commented former Cork GAA chair Tracey Kennedy: "What can you say about this legend? So sad to hear of the passing of Tommy Lynch, long-standing custodian of Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Páirc Uí Rinn and all who gathered within. Thanks, Tommy, for all the laughs (and the occasional row!) along the way."

A worker at the old Ranks Mills in Cork, he was in charge of scoreboard operations when Pairc Ui Chaoimh opened in 1976. Some six years later, he arrived down to the Pairc one day, or so the legend goes, and was offered a job by the then Cork County Bord chairman, Denis Conroy. 

That formalised his position in 1988 as the stadium's head groundsman, but he would double up as kit man to both the Cork senior hurling and football squads for up to a decade thereafter. 

He assumed similar responsibility for Pairc Ui Rinn, which Cork GAA opened in 1993. He continued to serve as caretaker and groundsman for Pairc Ui Chaoimh up to its closure for redevelopment at the end of 2014 and was still involved when it reopened two and a half years later.

To celebrate his 90t birthday in October 2019, Cork GAA hosted a special celebration at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, which was attended by many former Cork players and managers.

More often than not, he was the first face to greet players, officials and backroom teams at the old Blackrock End gate. Mr Lynch forged good relationships with a number of players over the decades and was especially close in more recent times to Cork team physio, Colin Lane.

Former Cork hurler Tom Kenny described Lynch as “a welcoming face” in the Cork stadium.

“He was always there when you went down to training or games.

“You had to build up a rapport with him, the same way you would with anybody, but as he got to know you, and you got to know him, he was great to have there in the stadium.

“At the time things were going well for us on the field of play so we’d often be asked for sliotars to be signed, or spare jerseys from an odd set, he was very accommodating with that kind of stuff.

“When he was in Páirc Uí Rinn he’d sit in the first aid room, just inside the door on your right, and in the old Páirc U Chaoimh he’d be in the first aid room beneath the stairs, just inside the old brown doors. You could pop in there and ask him for anything, and the more established you became the more of a relationship you had with him.” 

 Sometimes players who wanted to put in an extra session needed extra access to the gym in the stadium, and Lynch always obliged.

“In my time playing a few of us would give him a call on a Thursday after training and ask if we could use the old gym on Friday morning.

“And he’d leave the key out under a cone for us, we’d come in and do our session and leave the key back there for him. That’s probably hard to imagine, in 2021, but that’s how we were able to use the gym sometimes, because he’d leave us in.

“He went to games when the van for logistics and gear came in, travelling with Jimmy McEvoy or Jerry Wallace, or Pat Keane in later years, so he was around the dressing-rooms at games.” That was often a help to players who, as Kenny explains, often wanted to give spare jerseys to charities or other deserving causes.

“In the dressing-room after a game you might be caught because you’d swapped your jersey with an opponent, particularly after a championship game.

“We would have spare jerseys and if you needed one because you had promised it to a charity Tommy would always look after you, he recognised when someone was genuinely caught to give a jersey away.” 

 Kenny describes Lynch as “nearly omnipresent” in the old Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

“Nowadays with health and safety and so on things are different, but he was nearly omnipresent in the stadium for years.

“If you needed to get in early for something, or if you thought you’d left something after you then you could give him a ring and he’d accommodate you.

“He was living in the northside and a few times I would have dropped him home, or picked him up on the way to training, because I was going that way out to Grenagh.

“He had duties other than looking after the dressing-rooms or the players, there’s obviously a lot of work that goes with looking after a stadium, but he was always very good to us. When the old Pairc closed down the new stadium mightn’t have been quite the same for him.”

The passing of Tommy marks the end of an era for the GAA here in Cork. He gave great service for many, many years maintaining the grounds at Pairc Ui Chaoim andPairc Ui Rinn Ui 

.

FORMER Cork County Board Secretary, Frank Murphy was one of the first to pay tribute to the late Tommy Lynch who was head groundsman at Pairc Ui Chaoimh and Pairc Ui Rinn for many years.

Mr Lynch, who was held in very high esteem by the GAA fraternity in Cork and far beyond, passed away on Wednesday after serving the GAA on Leeside in many different roles but primarily as a devoted groundsman.

Mr Murphy told the Echo that he was a wonderful ambassador for Cork GAA who gave great service to the Association.

“The passing of Tommy marks the end of an era for the GAA here in Cork. He gave great service for many, many years maintaining the grounds at Pairc Ui Chaoimh and Pairc Ui Rinn.

“He was a man very conscious of his responsibilities and he took great pride in his work.

“He saw Pairc Ui Chaoimh being developed into the great stadium that it now is, he was there for the closing of the old Pairc Ui Chaoimh and the opening of the new one.’’ The long-serving former County Secretary said that he was a hugely popular figure with both the players and administrators and that he took great pride in the successes that were achieved.

“All the players had a great time for Tommy and on trips abroad in the aftermath of All-Ireland victories he was great company for everyone and his presence enhanced those occasions.

“He had a great sense of humour, he was a very witty person too and a very inoffensive individual who made great friends down the years.

“I recall him having a great rapport with the late Canon Michael O’Brien. There was a great friendship between the two of them and there was great banter between them as well.’’ He was, according to Mr Murphy, a volunteer in every sense of the word.

“Yes indeed. The GAA has been built on the voluntary effort of so many and Tommy was certainly one of the best in that regard.

“He worked tirelessly for the GAA in Cork, in both stadiums and his work was appreciated by so many.

“He was small in stature but huge in presence and he will certainly not be forgotten by all of us who dealt with him.

“He regularly went on a journey to Australia to see his daughter and that was a big undertaking in his advancing years but it was something that he looked forward to very much.’’ Mr Murphy said.

Former long serving Cork County Board Treasurer, Pearse Murphy also had very warm words of praise for the late Mr Lynch.

He told the Echo that was a hugely faithful servant to Cork GAA and a very committed person.

“He was, without doubt. He often went beyond the call of duty in his work, often working seven days a week and there was never a word.

“He was a constant presence in Pairc Ui Chaoimh and in Pairc Ui Rinn, he was in charge of the gear for the players for a good while and he never missed a training session in that time.

“He was ultra dependable, a man who gave the GAA here in Cork great service.

“He was a very popular person with the players and with the various Board members that were there during his time.

“We will all miss him, he was a great friend to all of us.’’ The late Mr Lynch had many friends throughout his time in both Pairc Ui Chaoimh and Pairc Ui Rinn and one of them was Brian Dillons clubman Derek Connolly who worked alongside him in both stadiums.

“Tommy was a legend in the truest sense of the word. St Vincent’s was his club and he served many roles in both stadiums.

“He was a scoreboard operator with the late Jimmy O’Rourke before taking over the groundsman duties.

“That was a labour of love for him and he took fierce pride in that work. Both the Cork players, hurlers and footballers and the various executives that he served under down the years had a great time for him.

“He always travelled on the team bus to Thurles, Limerick on big match days and he looked after the gear for the players.

“The County Secretary Frank Murphy had great trust in him and on the day of a big match in either Pairc Ui Chaoimh or Pairc Ui Rinn he always ensured that the venue was in pristine condition..

“He had friends everywhere, many of them outside of Cork and for me personally it was a privilege to have had him as a friend.

“It’s a sad day for everybody who worked alongside him and the GAA in Cork has lost a great individual.’’ Mr Connolly said Warm tributes indeed for a man who had a word for everybody and a welcome too whether it was down the Marina or on the Boreenmanna Road Down through the ages, the GAA on Leeside has been blessed with some outstanding contributors who worked tirelessly for its betterment.

Tommy Lynch was very high up on that list.

May he rest in peace.