Con Houlihan (6 December 1925 – 4 August 2012) was an Irish
sportswriter
Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism started in the early 1800s when it was targeted to the social elite and transitioned into an integral part of the n ...
. Despite only progressing to national journalism at the age of 46, he became "the greatest and the best-loved Irish sports journalist of all".
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Journalism career
Over a lengthy career, Houlihan covered many Irish and international sporting events, from Gaelic football and hurling finals, to soccer and rugby World Cups, the Olympics and numberless race meetings inside and outside Ireland.
He was a journalist with the Irish Press group writing for ''The Irish Press
''The Irish Press'' (Irish: ''Scéala Éireann'') was an Irish national daily newspaper published by Irish Press plc between 5 September 1931 and 25 May 1995.
Foundation
The paper's first issue was published on the eve of the 1931 All-Ireland ...
'', ''Evening Press
The ''Evening Press'' was an Irish newspaper which was printed from 1954 until 1995. It was set up by Éamon de Valera's Irish Press group, and was originally edited by Douglas Gageby. Its principal competitor was the ''Evening Herald'', which h ...
'' and sometimes ''The Sunday Press
''The Sunday Press'' was a weekly newspaper published in Ireland from 1949 until 1995. It was launched by Éamon de Valera's Irish Press group following the defeat of his Fianna Fáil party in the 1948 Irish general election. Like its sister n ...
'', until the group's demise in 1995. He wrote the "Tributaries" column and ''Evening Press'' back sports page "Con Houlihan" column.
Death
Houlihan died in the morning of 4 August 2012 in St James's Hospital in Dublin. Often considered one of Ireland's finest writers, he left behind a legacy of immense sports journalism that spanned over 60 years. A minute's silence was observed in his memory ahead of Kerry
Kerry or Kerri may refer to:
* Kerry (name), a given name and surname of Gaelic origin (including a list of people with the name)
Places
* Kerry, Queensland, Australia
* County Kerry, Ireland
** Kerry Airport, an international airport in Count ...
's All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-final defeat to Donegal at Croke Park the following day. His last column, in which he wished Katie Taylor
Katie Taylor (born 2 July 1986) is an Irish professional boxer and former footballer. She is a two-weight world champion and the current undisputed lightweight champion, having held the WBA title since 2017; the IBF title since 2018; and the ...
well, was published the day after his death. His funeral took place on 8 August 2012.
Awards and honours
A bronze bust of Houlihan was unveiled in his hometown of Castleisland in 2004. In 2011, a bronze plaque was installed outside The Palace bar in Dublin.
List of works
* ''More Than a Game''
* ''A Harvest: New, Rare and Uncollected Essays''
* ''Close the Wicket Gate: Tales from the Kilmichael Bar'' Foreword for Johanna O'Mahony Walters
* ''Death of a King and Other Stories''
* ''In So Many Words: The Best of Con Houlihan''
* ''Windfalls''
References
External links
Con Houlihan
Independent.ie
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Houlihan, Con
1925 births
2012 deaths
Evening Press people
Gaelic games journalists
Irish columnists
The Irish Press people
Irish Independent people
Irish sportswriters
People from Castleisland
The Sunday Press people