In every club in the country there would be at least one name that would be synonymous with that particular club. In the Passage club the name of Billy Cotter would fit very comfortably into that category.

From the time he lined out with the Passage under-16 hurling team in 1949 until his passing in 2003 Billy was an integral part of practically all club activities and was very proud to be honoured with the Presidency of the club he loved so much.

Normally when a person reaches the highest honour in their club it would occur at the end of a distinguished career in that particular club. Billy bucked the trend in this regard when he carried on regardless of his exalted position. A motor cycle accident in 1956 put a serious curtailment in Billy’s playing career and it was then that he threw himself headlong into various administrative roles in the club.

He held the position of Chairman and Secretary at different times and in different era’s and he saw a large amount of committee members come and go. It has been said by many that in his years as a mentor with under-age and adult teams he developed a penchant for seeking out the reluctant player that was needed to make up the numbers. On occasions like that when Billy came knocking at your door saying no was not an option.

Despite all his roles in the club Billy will probably be best remembered for his head-on approach to selling the weekly lottery tickets. He positioned himself in a strategic location in the centre of the town on a Saturday morning and if he missed you on your way out of town he was waiting for you on the way back.

Billy also left another legacy as his son Billy and daughter Elizabeth are very involved in the affairs of the Passage club.