Ronnie O’Gorman, founder of the Galway Advertiser newspaper, was an extraordinary man and has left a lasting legacy on his home city of Galway. He died on May 23rd, 2024.
There were many aspects to O’Gorman’s life – entrepreneur, advocate for all things Galway, art collector, voracious reader, journalist, podcaster, donor to a wide variety of charities, storyteller (as he often reminded us, not a historian), film and music lover. An unmatched wealth of knowledge of Galway and its history was shared in the pages of the Galway Advertiser and on his podcast with Tom Kenny.
He wore his knowledge lightly and was never boastful. He was great company. He performed dozens of private acts of kindness and generosity, which he was determined would never become public. It is still difficult to believe that warm, reassuring voice has been stilled forever. O’Gorman also had that rare talent, where every time you met him, irrespective of your mood, you felt great afterwards. Fun was at the centre of every encounter with him.
In a dedicated supplement published in the Galway Advertiser shortly after his death, he was described by President Michael D Higgins as “a central part of the arts community, committed to Galway and its region, radically optimistic of the possibilities of life, simply irrepressible, a man who came home to his roots to make an unforgettable contribution”. Declan Varley, O’Gorman’s successor as editor , described him as “an eternal optimist, wrapped up in a colourful scarf and comfortable shoes beaming a smile and a sense of devilment and adventure”. A father of five, a grandfather of four and, in so many ways at The Galway Advertiser, a father to everyone. Perhaps he was best summed up by his son Ben: “Ronnie believed in Galway, and Galway believed in him.”
This year, on Saturday, September 28th, Garry Hynes of The Druid Theatre will dedicate a new autograph tree to his memory in the famous walled garden at Coole Park. This is a singular and well deserved honour for O’Gorman.
O’Gorman is survived by daughters Sadhbh, Sian, Anna Joy and Sally, son Ben, sons-in-law Manus and Paddy, grandchildren, Ruby, Iseult, Beatrice and Ezra, brother Phillip and sister Zan.