Clare football manager Colm Collins says Michael O’Shea was a "fantastic influence" during his playing days and a "stand-up guy" as family and friends come to terms with the death of the young father-of-one.
St Senan’s Kilkee confirmed today that the 37-year-old had died of cancer, survived by his wife Orlaith, young daughter Éirinn, parents Joseph and Elizabeth, brother John and his sister Oonagh.
O’Shea spent 15 seasons as a Clare senior footballer and is a former captain.
"It’s a great shock," Collins told RTÉ Sport.
"He was a real leader and a stand-up guy. And above all else, he was extremely popular in the dressing room, which is not always the case with those other traits.
"Sometimes leaders can stand on people’s toes, but not Michael."
Unfortunately for Collins, when he took over the Banner in 2014, O’Shea’s days were coming to an end.
At the time Collins knew little about the forward as a person, but that all changed in the unlikely setting of West Cork.
The team’s first bootcamp took place in Bere Island, a place where mental and physical capabilities are tested to the last and strong character is required.
It was an eye-opener for the new man in the hotseat.
"He was a fantastic influence and really led the show.
"The guys were divided into two teams, and it was no surprise that Michael’s team were more often than not coming out on top. Every task, he got stuck into with venom."
Clare achieved promotion from Division 4 that year, but were edged out by Tipperary by a single point in the league decider at Croke Park.
O’Shea, however, never made it onto the hallowed turf.
"I was getting him ready to go on with 15 minutes remaining, but he tore his hamstring in the warm-up."
He would never don the jersey again as a player and announced his inter-county retirement ahead of the championship.
O’Shea kicked 0-04 in his only Munster final appearance in 2012 and won McGrath Cup medals in 2002 and 2008.
He achieved county titles in 2003 and 2005 and was part of the St Senan’s Kilkee side that contested Munster club finals against Kerry’s An Ghaeltacht and Cork’s Nemo Rangers respectively.
The move into management was somewhat inevitable says Collins, becoming joint-manager of the Clare Under-21s and he oversaw Kilmihil’s march to an intermediate county title last year.
The Clare job in particular called for all of O’Shea’s skill and patience.
"It can be a tough gig," says Collins, who would have worked closely to evaluate the latest crop of footballers coming through.
"I always looked at him as a possible senior Clare manager"
"With minor, you can get more co-operation, but U-21 is a very challenging role as it impinges so much on club fixtures. Throw in dual clubs and players and it isn’t easy by any stretch, but he gave it everything."
As far as Collins was concerned, it was the foundation of a managerial career that was on an upward trajectory.
"I always looked at him as possible senior Clare manager," he said.
News of his cancer came as a shock, but hope prevailed – "there was a time when we were getting good reports, it was a bit of a rollercoaster" – though the finality has been a bitter pill to swallow.
"You would find it almost impossible to find someone who had a bad word to say about him"
O’Shea will be remembered as a fine footballer and manager says Collins, but more importantly, a man of serious character.
"You would find it almost impossible to find someone who had a bad word to say about him," he says.
"I know when people die you often hear that, but it is very true in this case."
