Larry Fanning:LARRY FANNING, who has died at the age of 86, had more reasons than most to look forward to tomorrow's All-Ireland hurling final between rival neighbouring counties Waterford and Kilkenny in Croke Park.
In 1948, he was a sub on Waterford's first senior All-Ireland winning team and up to his unexpected demise last week was one of only three surviving members of that victorious campaign.
Remarkably, however, there was another, perhaps even more important side to Fanning's life. Besides being an outstanding sportsman, he played a leading role in the cultural life of the city, helping to save the Theatre Royal when its future was often in the balance.
His death is particularly poignant because, against all the odds, Waterford had played their way back into tomorrow's All-Ireland final after a gap of 45 years. In an interview given on the day before he died, he spoke with passion of going to the match.
"It will be a wonderful day for Waterford, especially for younger people who never knew the euphoria of 1948 and 1959," he recalled. "Those were magical days for us. The aftermath of the '48 victory on The Quay was unbelievable and I honestly believe it is going to happen again. Today's players have the hurling and they are fired up and determined."
Those words recall his personal qualities of determination, directness, and the kind of toughness that refuses to capitulate. For instance, having left school at 15 for a job in Crokers, a local printing works, he later did his best to save the operation from going into liquidation. When news of the closure broke on Christmas Eve, as foreman he single-handedly drummed up commissions from business contacts up and down the country, and in Britain.
Along with opera, hurling was his great passion. Of the original panel of 25 players from the victorious 1948 team, only Andy Fleming of Ferrybank and Johnny O'Connor of Dungarvan remain. Now in their 90s, they were at Fanning's funeral last weekend.
An iconic figure, he was a brother of former GAA president Pat Fanning and a staunch member of the Mount Sion club, a nursery for Waterford hurlers down the years. In recent times, he and Andy Fleming visited Mount Sion college, regaling today's pupils with memories of Waterford's hurling past.
Fanning might have told them of his mother's admonition when, going to play a match with his older brother Pat, she would remind Pat to "mind himself" while telling Larry "not to be hitting other players".
On the pitch his reputation as full back was for a brand of toughness that encompassed fairness and clean play. Off the pitch, that same sturdy commitment and resilience were reflected in every facet of his public life.
Immersing himself in the cultural life of the city, he worked tirelessly to keep the Theatre Royal, home of Waterford's long-running Light Opera Festival, alive. In recognition of 40 years devoted to the festival, he was appointed life president of the Theatre Royal Society.
His interest in opera was built around his friendship with Frank Ryan, the Waterford tenor, acknowledged in his day as one of Ireland's leading singers.
Fanning had recently contributed to a forthcoming documentary film on the man known as the "singing butcher from Tallow" which is due to be screened by TG4 on October 12th.
He is survived by his wife, Jenny, sons Philip and Niall, his brother Pat and sister Kitty, daughters-in-law Breda and Marina, and six grandchildren.
• Larry Fanning: born August 8th, 1922; died August 28th, 2008