By Sean Moriarty

There was widespread shock and sadness across the town on Friday morning when the news broke that Pádraig Harnett had passed away suddenly the previous evening.

TRIBUTE: A Killarney Celtic flag draped over the coffin for the late Pádraig Harnett for his final journey through Killarney town on Sunday evening. Photo: Eamonn Keogh

GUARD OF HONOUR: Past and present officers players and members of Killarney Celtic provided a guard of honour for the late Pádraig Harnett for the funeral cortege through Killarney town on Sunday evening. Photo: Eamonn Keogh

GUARD OF HONOUR: Past and present officers players and members of Killarney Celtic providing a guard of honour for the late Pádraig Harnett for the funeral cortege through Killarney town on Sunday evening. Photo: Eamonn Keogh

SUPPORTER'S CLUB: Pádraig Harnett at the first ever Munster Nottingham Forest Supporter's Club meeting in 2016. The photo also features the late Weeshie Fogarty.

The popular club official and sports journalist died on Thursday evening after a short illness.

There was no aspect of Killarney sporting life that did not have Pádraig’s fingerprints on them.

While best known for his role in soccer throughout the county, he was also heavily involved in basketball, cycling and motorsport.

He held almost every role possible within the ranks of Killarney Celtic FC, including chairman.

Nationally, he represented Kerry at the Football Association of Ireland’s General Assembly and was one of the driving forces behind the foundation of Kerry Football Club which will play League of Ireland football next season – the first Kerry team do so.

Locally Pádraig was Press Officer for the Kerry Schoolboys and Girls League.

“We lost a friend, a companion, a mentor, and a big brother to us all,” said Aidan Murnane, Chairperson of the Kerry Schoolboys/Girls League.

Pádraig was also popular in basketball circles and Scotts Lakers (St Paul's) held a minute's silence ahead of its game on Saturday night.

He was also the Kerry Area Basketball Board PRO.

Without doubt, he was the county’s cycling expert and a familiar face at all the big events like the Rás Tailteann and Ras Mumhan when they passed through the county.

As a sports journalist he worked for Radio Kerry, the Tralee Advertiser and Kerry’s Eye, and was a frequent contributor to the Killarney Advertiser.

Outside of sport, he was a dedicated charity worker and only recently, through his contacts with Nottingham Forest Football Club in Britain, organised a charity fundraiser in Killorglin with former players of that club.

A native of Park Road in Killarney, he lived in Currans with his wife Maura.

His popularity was evident on Sunday evening after a large crowd turned out for his removal service in O'Shea's Funeral Home Killarney.

A Killarney Celtic flag was draped over his coffin as he made his final journey through the town he loved so well.

Past and present officers, players and members of Killarney Celtic provided a guard of honour on Sunday evening and again after his Requiem Mass yesterday morning (Monday) in The Church of the Immaculate Conception, Currow. He was laid to rest in Ardcrone Cemetery.