Tribute to Joe Devine

A great supporter of Newcastle West RFC went to his eternal reward on Monday night May 10th. Joe Devine was  ever present on Sunday afternoons in Cullinagh when the clubs first XV were playing and also travelled the length and breadth of Munster to support them. Rain hail or sunshine he was there, and if you wanted to know what the weather was going to be like for the duration of the game all you needed to do was to look at what Joe was wearing because he would always be dressed appropriately, dressed to kill if we were getting a fine day, wrapped up in his fishing gear in layers if it was to be bad.

Joe had a great knowledge of the game of rugby and was not shy in expressing his views re the team or the management’s performance. Referees and touch-judges were not immune to some of Joe’s comments either.

I travelled in the car with Joe and company on only a few occasions to games ,I know there was a regular crew (ye know who ye are)who would head off together to places like Bandon, Clonakilty, Kilfeakle to name but  a few.

The entertainment began from the time Joe was collected in Boherbui ,stories of his youth, growing up in Boherbui ,the exploits of his father Darkie and his mother Ita, playing in the family band, rearing a family in New York, working in the P&T, golf, fishing. The stories were endless, but Joe’s stories were not fiction, they were about real people and people most of us knew which made them all the more interesting. Anybody that knows Joe and is reading this, I’m sure there is a story he told you that you are remembering now.

I knew Joe and all his family since I was a child and my first experience of going to the bog was with Joe to be taught the skills of footing and re-footing & branching over the summer evenings to keep the Devine family warm for the Winter, I know now that I was not the only one in Newcastle West that was invited to the bog over the years.

Golf is not a skill that I would be renowned for. One of my best memories of being in Joe’s company was a golf classic played in Tipperary town golf club many moons ago in aid of the local rugby club. It was played in a team of four format and we were accompanied by another great character in Paul Devine Senior RIP and Michael (Maxi) McAuliffe. It stands out in my life as one of the most memorable days out golfing I had. It was not that I played great golf ( and boy was I told that on a few occasions) it was the fun and the banter that both Joe and Paul entertained us with.

Joe walked to town everyday and if you met him you were guaranteed to walk  away with a smile or a story of times passed. I was lucky to meet Joe just over two weeks ago when his health was failing but we sat and had coffee for an hour or so and again I left his company a little sad but with a smile thinking of times past. Thank you Joe, it was a pleasure. Our Sunday afternoons in the winter will be a lot duller without you.

To Joe’s wife  Joan, children ,Eddie, Norma, Jimmy, Susan, Robert (RIP) Joseph & Leslie, brothers Mick & Moss, grandchildren,  and the extended Devine family please accept our condolences