Farewell ‘Grandad’, Ireland's 'most cantankerous auld fella'

'All I want now is to be left in peace; to smoke my pipe and to enjoy an odd pint of stout.’ (Head Rambles, 2008)

For the past twelve months, Richard O'Connor, aka 'Grandad' or Ireland's 'most cantankerous auld fella', has ‘endured pain, disfigurement and endless trips to and from various hospitals'.

'The general consensus,' he wrote two weeks ago, 'is that physically and emotionally I have been through a lot, probably far more than most in their lifetime.'

Sadly, just a week after being admitted to a hospice near his home in Co Wicklow, Richard died yesterday morning. Announcing his death on the blog he has been writing for almost 20 years, his daughter wrote:

He declined gracefully and great efforts were made to ensure he wasn’t suffering in any way. He got visits from dogs, and had a few days sitting outside in unseasonably warm weather listening to birdsong before he became too weak to move around.

Remarkably, and despite the tribulations of the last twelve months, he maintained the same sense of humour (and irascibility!) that attracted readers to the blog he started writing in October 2006.

In 2008 he won ‘Best Personal Blog’ in the Irish Blog Awards and that led to a book, a compilation of his best blog posts, entitled Head Rambles: With Ireland's most cantankerous auld fella.

But it’s the brave and stoic manner with which he endured a horribly aggressive form of cancer that I will remember him.

We corresponded infrequently over the years (he had some kind words to say about John Mallon when Forest’s Cork-based spokesman died in December 2023), but my final email to him, on April 21, read:

Dear Richard,

I was so sorry to read your update, but thank you for posting it. I very much hope you get the best possible care and pain relief available.

As many of the commenters on your blog have said, you have shown enormous courage and bravery.

I particularly admire the fact that you have not become a recluse but have continued to pop in to your local coffee shop, for example.

Despite everything, you have also maintained a remarkable sense of humour in extremely challenging circumstances.

There’s nothing more I can add because we have never met and we are, effectively, strangers.

Nevertheless your blog has been a source of pleasure to many people, including me, for many years, and although it has taken a darker turn in the past 12 months I’m sure your words will inspire many of us to soldier on for as long as we can, should we find ourselves in a similar position.

No need to reply but I just wanted to send my very best wishes and point out what I hope is blindingly obvious - there is a huge amount of goodwill out there for you, which I hope brings you some solace.

His penultimate blog post was published on April 24 and he was wisecracking to the end:

‘The Wicklow Hospice,’ he wrote, ‘is everyone’s choice. They even allow smoking and drinking on the terraces!'

A few days later he posted what we now know were his final written words. Comfortingly, he appeared to be at peace.

RIP, Grandad, and condolences to family and friends.

See also: Grandad pulls no punches as he shoots from the lip (Irish Independent, 2009)