Eamon Curran:EAMON CURRAN, who has died aged 86, enjoyed a reputation on the fairways of Ireland and Europe, in the clubhouses and committee rooms, as a no-nonsense, straight-talking, ambitious man who enjoyed a distinguished and successful career in the service of Irish golf.
The drive with which he approached every task in life was evident from his early days growing up in Roscommon town.
He enjoyed success as a footballer and hurler in the newly opened Christian Brothers school in the late 1930s and early 1940s and was a member of the Roscommon team which won the All-Ireland minor football championship in 1941. An interest in football was maintained following his move to Dublin.
Curran was a close associate of the players who won Roscommon’s only All-Ireland senior titles in 1943 and 1944, by which time he had also discovered his new sporting passion – golf.
He joined Woodbrook Golf Club near Bray, Co Wicklow. As a player, he had great successes alongside good friends like Pat Mulcare and Liam McNamara. He was club captain in 1969 and began a career in administration that led to a term as Leinster branch president. He served as president of the Golfing Union of Ireland in 1996 and was a union trustee until his death. Until recently he was associated with the coaching programme for Woodbrook’s junior golfers and took a close interest in the GUI affairs.
His interest in coaching developed during his playing career and he became Ireland amateur team captain in 1985 with great success. He was non-playing captain of the team that won the triple crown and home international series at Lahinch in 1987 and added the European title in Murhof in Austria.
The meticulous approach he adopted to preparation was exemplified during the success in Murhof. He had noticed two talented local schoolgirls playing the course and convinced their headmistress to allow them time off school to caddy for the Irish team. He cycled the course at first light to find out pin positions and advise his team members accordingly.
Curran approached his career as a project manager in the ESB in a similar manner. During years of extraordinary expansion of the national network, he developed a tough and uncompromising reputation for ensuring that new projects were completed on time and on budget.
His great love in life was his family and friends. He was pre-deceased by his wife Maura and their son Martin. He fussed over his daughters Anne, Mary, Geraldine and Catherine and rejoiced at the opportunity to spend time with his seven grandchildren.
He was never a man to boast and relished privacy but he always ended a phone call with a comment about the achievements of his grandchildren.
Eamon Curran: born June 27th, 1924; died April 2nd, 2010