Galway United manager John Caulfield paid an emotional tribute to his assistant and close friend Ollie Horgan as his funeral mass on Monday afternoon, describing him as “the most intelligent person I ever met”.
Horgan sadly passed away on Thursday morning following a brave battle with cancer, aged 57.
He was mourned by his wife Anita and their children Emma, Anthony, Brendan, Conor and David, sister Mary and brother Ger during his service at the Christ the King Church in Salthill.
He will also be missed by Kit, Brian and Caroline and his nephews, nieces and extended family and the wider League of Ireland football community.
Horgan joined United ahead of the 2023 season but was forced to step away from the role at the beginning of August, although his last match alongside Caulfield on the sideline was on July 11th when they were beaten by Bohemians at Dalymount Park.
“We used to have a joke that – you said earlier on father that we’re on a bad run at the moment – I used to go into him and say ‘Ollie you need to pick the team this week’, so I’m blaming Ollie for the results over the last six or seven weeks,” joked Caulfield at the beginning of his eulogy.
“He was the most intelligent person I ever met; it was a privilege for me to have him around for the last couple of years, it was a privilege to have met him about 25 years ago.
“I had the greatest education with him, I spent two and a half years on the Uefa pro license sitting beside him, it was the greatest education I ever had between the stories and the craic, everything.
“Ollie was a big contributor to the fines that were in Galway United, that if you got booked or sent off you had to contribute money. He was a big contributor to that much to the delight of the players.
“But about 10 years ago, I met his parents, and we were up in the house in Salthill. I was managing Cork, and he was managing Harps and when he used to get into a bit of bother on the sideline with Harps his mother would always say ‘can you not be like that Caulfield lad, he’s a lovely lad.’ This was really bugging Ollie over a long period of time.
“About a year or two later Cork were playing Waterford, there was a bit of a brawl and six people got sent off and I was unfortunate to be one of them. It appeared on the six o’clock news the next evening, much to Ollie’s delight.
“He was with his mam, and he was showing her, ‘look at him, look at him. I never made the six o’clock news!’ Caulfield would also go into detail about Horgan’s keen eye for spotting talent, and the lengths he would go to scout potential stars.
“When Ollie used to go out scouting players he would be going ‘how can I get there without being seen. The joke used to be ‘Ollie, you’re more recognisable than Michael D!” added Caulfield, with the President of Ireland sitting in the front row.
“His work knowledge was incredible; he worked so hard. Any time you rang him he was at an airport or on a train because he was always somewhere looking for players.
“About two years ago we were trying to find a striker. I went to Manchester to watch one, Ollie had highly recommended him, so I went over but I reported back that I don’t think he’s going to do.
“The following week it was the 23rd of December. I don’t know Anita where he told you he was, but he flew to Leeds and got a train to Dover, he wanted to have a look at him himself.
“He rang me, I was at home in West Cork, and he goes; ‘the wind and rain, this is worse than Ballybofey.’ At half time, he rings me again and he says; ‘forget about him, he’s wearing a pair of gloves, he’s useless.’ “There’s loads of stories about, he’s a phenomenal character, a phenomenal person.
“So farewell my friend, you’re leaving, it’s time for you to go, your friendship was a blessing and we will miss you so.”