In the middle 1970’s Passage began producing some very good successful under-age football teams and even though it was not foreseen at the time this group was to form the nucleus of the great Passage football team which won junior and intermediate county titles and could easily have won a senior title.

When these players were progressing through the under-age ranks there were some very talented players who began catching the eye.

One player, however, stood out above the others for his skill, his powerful running and his ability to lift his team when games got tough. This player was Ciarán O’Reilly who went on to be the stand out leader on that super team of the early 1980’s.

Ciarán possessed all the credentials of a top class fielder, great kicking ability and a high degree of athleticism.

Despite all these great qualities he had something else which set him apart. This was his leadership which was evident in every match he played and even in every training session he partook in.

Like some Passage footballers who preceded him it was a great injustice that he was not selected on the Cork minor football team but he did get the recognition he deserved when he was included in the under-21 panel which won the All-Ireland in 1984.

He also made history when he made his way on the Cork senior football team for a number of National League games in the middle 1980’s.

Unfortunately like many more like him Ciarán fell victim to the recession of that period and had to emigrate when he was at the peak of his playing career.

When he eventually returned to Passage, his playing days may have been over, but he threw himself headlong into the coaching of various football teams in the club.

He was the driving force behind the formation of the ladies section in the club and it was with great pride that in recent years he watched his daughter Sinéad win three successive All-Ireland medals at under-age level with the Cork ladies football team.