By Sean Moriarty

The family of the late Seamus O’Shea of Jack C’s Bar on High Street have thanked the people of Killarney for the support they have received following his sad passing on Sunday night.

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LEGENDARY: Seamus O’Shea on the day he took over Jack C’s in 1970

The legendary and popular publican passed away on Sunday just four days after his 86th birthday.

The pub was opened by his family in 1901 and is still run by his wife Joan and son John C.

“We have been hearing great stories and recollections every day,” John C said. “We are just taking them all in. Thanks to the people of Killarney, Dr Crokes GAA Club and local publicans who provided a guard of honour and the staff of Killarney Nursing Home.”

While best known for his love of the GAA, his interests were widespread. A champion snooker player, he twice won the Bishop Moynihan Cup (the county championship for snooker) in the 1960s.

He was also a regular contender in the legendary Pub Quiz leagues of the 1980s and up to very recently the only two programmes that he would allow to be shown on his pub’s television were championship snooker matches and ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’.

Old school to the core, his early education days as a student at St Brendan’s College saw him learn Greek, Latin and Maths through Irish.

In his early working days he lived and worked in Coventry and became a life-long fan of the city’s soccer team. One of his proudest moments was being present in Wembley Stadium in London in 1987 when ‘The Blues’ won the FA Cup Final.

John Sillett, who guided the club to FA Cup victory in 1987, died on Wednesday of this week – two of the world’s greatest Coventry FC supporters reunited.

Seamus was a proud Dr Crokes man and his eulogy was read at St Mary’s Cathedral by Fr Jim Lenihan – a proud Legion man.

“He would have knocked a kick out of that,” John added.

Born above the High St pub in 1935, apart from his years in Coventry, Seamus never lived anywhere else.

“When we were making arrangements with Mackey’s [O’Shea’s Funeral Directors], they asked that question and there was no answer – he was born over the pub and he lived nowhere else.”

Seamus passed away peacefully in the company of his loving family on Sunday night.

He is survived and sadly missed by his beloved wife Joan (King), son John C and and daughter Brigitte, son-in-law Richard Whelan, grandchildren James and Ellie Kate, his sisters Marion (O'Riordan, Millstreet) and Eileen, sister-in-law Noreen (Kearney), nephews, nieces, grand-nephews grand-nieces, relatives, neighbours, his many great friends and his customers at Jack C's Bar.