George F Crosbie:PUBLISHER, businessman, international golfer, yachtsman, singer and songwriter, George F Crosbie, who has died aged 83 after a long illness, was a former chairman of the board of Thomas Crosbie Holdings and of the Cork Examiner newspaper group.
Highly regarded in the business, cultural, social and sporting life of Cork, he was a talented all-rounder. Besides playing a key role in developing the family-owned group of newspapers and its associated media interests, he was also actively involved in banking and served on the board of a number of companies.
He also excelled in the sporting arena, particularly in yachting and on the golf course. Indeed, as captain of the Irish amateur golf team, he played a key role in deciding to “blood” two golfing youngsters who went on to become outstanding ambassadors for Ireland – Pádraig Harrington and Paul McGinley – giving them the break they needed despite the misgivings of sceptics who argued that one was too small and the other was too young.
The eldest son of Commander George Crosbie, he devoted his life to developing the Crosbie group of newspapers and its extensive media interests.
Most of his working career was spent establishing the commercial, accountancy and systems side of the newspapers where he concentrated on building the advertising arm of the business, playing a pivotal role in the company’s corporate growth.
As a natural extension of those interests, he was for 20 years a director of the Bank of Ireland, taking an active part in the commercial life of both Cork and of Munster. He was also a past director of the Irish boards of Friends Provident and BP.
In the mid-1970s, he became part-time chairman of the Cork Examiner group, subsequently being appointed full-time chairman of the group and also of Thomas Crosbie Holdings which established an extensive stable of local, regional and national newspapers, plus radio and recruitment interests. On his retirement in 2002, he continued taking an active interest in the company as an executive director.
Following his early education at Miss Cremin’s famous school on Cork’s South Mall, he went to Clongowes Wood College and later to UCC where he took a B Comm degree.
A fine sportsman at both national and international level, he was a superb golfer, winning the Cork Scratch Cup a record five times and runner up in the Irish championships of 1955, 1956 and 1957. An amateur of distinction, he played on the national team in 1953, 1955, 1956, and in 1958.
Going on to become non- playing captain and selector of the team in 1989, his experience and knowledge of the game came into play in 1990 when he led Ireland to its first Triple Crown on foreign soil. His captaincy was tested just before the event began at the Conway links in north Wales when Darren Clarke, a key player on the team, informed him he was going professional.
Dismissing the naysayers, he kept faith with Harrington and McGinley. Looking back 12 years later, he recalled that “Pádraig and Paul were magnificent that week. But in the end, it all boiled down to a nine foot putt on the 18th green by Liam McNamara. If he holed it, we were Triple Crown champions. The pressure was enormous but somehow he made it.
“That very situation flashed through my mind as I watched Paul McGinley stand over a putt of similar length to win the Ryder Cup. When it went in, I felt so proud.”
In a further example of his love for golf, he wrote The Bruen Loop, the story of Jimmy Bruen, another famed amateur golfer from Cork.
A formidable yachtsman, he bought his first Dragon in 1961 and went on to win the Irish Dragon championship in 1966. He also raced the Cork One Design with success.
As an entertainer, he regularly performed at the Cork Opera House and appeared with Gay Byrne on the Late Late Show.
Sitting side by side at the piano with his late brother, Donal, they mined a rich repertoire of music and song.
A talented songwriter, his most successful composition Do I Dream? won the Irish competition for entry to the Eurovision Song Contest where it was performed by Maxi. At home, the Crosbie family would often gather of an evening around the piano, especially at Christmas time. George would lead the singing.
He is survived by his wife Joan and by their eight children, Anne, Jean, Alan, Susan, Patricia, Una, Paul and Philip.
George F Crosbie: born February 10th, 1926; died July 31st, 2009.