'Like walking with the lord mayor' - tributes for Examiner journalist Michael Ellard

The hugely respected GAA writer has passed away at the age of 76.

Michael Ellard interviews Cork County board chief, Frank Murphy in 1987.

The renowned Irish Examiner sports journalist Michael Ellard has been remembered for his distinctive prose, huge knowledge of hurling and roguish personality.

Michael, who retired in 2011 after more than four decades in the profession, passed away over the weekend at the age of 76.

The Taoiseach Micheál Martin led the tributes. "Sorry to hear of the passing of Michael Ellard, a wonderful writer whose passion for Gaelic games illuminated the pages of the Examiner and Evening Echo for decades.

"I always loved to read his post-match essays. Deepest sympathies to his family, friends and former colleagues."

Tony Leen, Irish Examiner sports editor said: "Sad to report that the wonderful, elusive dreamer of a wordsmith Michael Ellard has passed on. When they talk about the true characters of the GAA press box, a man who was a cocktail of droll humour and bon mots will always be namechecked. Farewell Els."

LEGENDS: The late Michael Ellard arrives at Kerry training as the great Paidi O Sé warms up. Picture: Des Barry

A student of the North Mon, he hurled with distinction with Na Piarsaigh on Cork’s northside and was a member of the Cork U21 football squad, featuring Denis Coughlan and Billy Morgan, which contested the All-Ireland final in 1965.

As a GAA reporter Michael built up a strong reputation for insightful match reports, written in beautiful prose and in 2003 he won a prestigious GAA McNamee Award for his tribute to celebrated Na Piarsaigh player and friend, Tony Hegarty.

“He was like a local god, whether it be a local club game or a Munster final up in Thurles,” recalls Michael Clifford of his colleague who never drove and was often a welcome passenger.

“Sometimes you’d be giving him lifts and it was like walking with the lord mayor. He was stopped everywhere, there was genuine affection for him. Particularly from the older generation. He carried huge weight.” 

RECOGNITION: GAA President Sean Kelly presents a GAA MacNamee award to Michael Ellard in 2003. Picture: Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE 

Michael formed a formidable Gaelic games writing team over many years with Jim O’Sullivan, who remembered his colleague on Sunday: “He was a great character, he had a lot of followers and his style of writing was so distinctive. He travelled a lot and Els was a very accomplished player in his playing days.” 

“I remember we covered a county championship match one day,” Michael Clifford continues. “I’ll never forget it. I took him down to West Cork and it was the worst day ever and we got absolutely saturated. To the point that this downpour meant it was no use taking notes. I couldn’t take notes, and he had no notes either.

“But he must have had some memory. Because the following day in the paper, I was talking in generality but he had the plays. But by God in the Examiner, he had pristine copy the following day.” 

Perhaps destined for a job in Academy Street, Michael’s father Jimmy worked in the legendary Cork Examiner ‘Reading Room’, where he was known as ‘The Duke’.

Michael initially began writing about a variety of subjects and was in Belfast in 1970 to report on Waterford’s win over Glentoran at the Oval in the European Cup, when he ended up filing copy on a bomb blast.

Colleagues recall one possibly apocryphal story in which an editor instructs Michael to review a concert by the well-known group ‘The Singing Priests’, a travelling group of clerics in the 1960s who did charity gigs around the country.

‘Els’, as workmates knew him, wrote a glowing review in which he detailed their repertoire and the ovation it earned in the packed Opera House. He learned after phoning in his copy that the priests’ van had broken down on the way to the city and the gig was cancelled.

Michael had a bulging contacts-book, Bob Lester, who worked on the Examiner sportsdesk for over 40 years, said.

“He was a character, and people love characters. He knew everyone from Beara across to Youghal and they'd have no problem picking up the phone to him.

RESPECT: Erins Own (top) and Kilshannig players observe a minute's silence for the late Michael Ellard, Irish Examiner and Echo reporter before the Co Op Superstores Cork JAHC final at Páirc Ui Chaoimh on Sunday. Picture; Eddie O'Hare

“He was very, very articulate and his reports were very good because he had a great knowledge of the game. A man who enjoyed himself and never used a small word when a long one will do. What a great character.” 

His school contemporary and former teammate, Cork legend, Denis Coughlan recounted one meeting with Michael in his book.

In 1974, the Cork hurling team were on their way to London to play an exhibition game in Wembley. Michael sat next to the Glen Rovers clubman.

“A rough few weeks, Denis?” 

“Ah, I’m getting tired of it all.” 

“The following morning Coughlan learned in the paper he had retired,” Kieran Shannon recounted in these pages. “His great friend from the North Mon had added one and one and come up with a certain calculation. Did Coughlan force a profusely apologetic Ellard to retract his scoop? No. Instead he duly took the following 1975 season out; he didn’t want to see a decent man like Ellard embarrassed in any way because he was such a decent man himself. Besides, he’ll add, Ellard did him a favour.” 

Michael Ellard -- who described his career as 'one long, beautiful, bountiful labour of love' -- is survived by his partner Denise and her son Scott, sisters Irene, Joy and Gwen, brothers Timothy, Alan and Hilary, extended family and many friends.

“The bottom line with Els was this,” adds Michael Clifford. “He had a charm about him. Everyone is going to say it; he was a gentleman. You’d never hear him talking badly about anybody. There was that gentle nature about him that drew people into him.

“He was the best of company, the very best of company.”