Final farewells to Old Head Links founder who had ‘a heart of gold’

However, it was his son Ben who, Mr O’Connor’s friends agreed, described him most accurately at his funeral service in a quiet corner of wet and windswept Kerry.

According to Ben, the man who founded the internationally-famous Old Head Golf Links, Kinsale, Co Cork, should be remembered as he was — “a strong, bull-headed character with a heart of gold’’, who enjoyed drinking fine wines with his friends and creating spectacles for the whole world to see.

His words elicited laughter and nods of approval from mourners including Mr O’Connor’s partner Rebecca, brother Patrick, and sisters Sheila and Margaret.

Speaking at the end of a funeral Mass in St Michael’s Church, Dungegan, Ben also said his father was happiest when sitting at his favourite table at the Links and looking out at his creation.

“He lived his life without regrets,” he said.

Mr O’Connor, who also had extensive property interests in places as far apart as Florida and the south of France, died earlier in the week at Kerry General Hospital, Tralee, aged 69.

A first cousin, Fr Pat Sugrue, was chief celebrant at the funeral Mass, with local parish priest Fr David Gunn.

Fr Sugrue said Mr O’Connor was a very successful businessman who also had struggles and difficulties.

He struggled with the spiritual, too, but was a kind and considerate person who probably had his own way of relating to God, he said.

It was in business that he showed his visionary outlook, according to Fr Sugrue. He saw the Old Head as an ideal place for a golf course and wanted it to be one of the best in the world.

Eventually, it was recognised as number one globally, outshining even Pebble Beach in California, the priest said.

In the 1970s, Mr O’Connor, a native of Glencar, Co Kerry, built a house at Boolakeel, Ballinskelligs, around which he established a garden of exotic plants, of which he was very proud.

Fr Sugrue said he enjoyed partying, but stayed in the background himself — just enjoying watching other people enjoying themselves.

Among well-known people present yesterday was Kerry football legend, Mick O’Connell, who said Mr O’Connor had made his golf links available for fund-raising for people with special needs.

“He was a generous man who did lots of good things privately for people. He never looked for publicity for that and that said a lot about him.”

Brendan Keogh, chief executive of the golf promotions company, Swing, said he had to have vision to take on the Old Head project, which he doggedly saw through despite difficulties.

“The course had to be something great to succeed and he did it against the odds. It had the ‘wow factor’. He was always thinking ahead, even looking to places like China for golf business when few others were.”

Ballinskelligs businessman Nicholas Browne, who worked for Mr O’Connor when he first came to the area well over 30 years ago, said he was a quiet man with remarkable vision.

Also at the funeral were Noelle Campbell-Sharp, of Cill Rialaig Arts Centre and property developer Michael O’Flynn.

Mr O’Connor’s wicker coffin was draped in the Old Head white, blue and gold flag, and he was laid to rest in the Abbey Cemetery, Ballinskelligs.