Ronnie O’Gorman, who established the Galway Advertiser newspaper, was not an ordinary individual and his contributions to his birth city of Galway continue to make an impact. He passed away on the 23rd of May, 2024.
A man of many facets, O’Gorman was a businessman, an advocate of all Galway-related matters, an art enthusiast, an avid reader, a journalist, a podcast host, a philanthropist, a storyteller (though he was quick to clarify not a historian), as well as a cinema and music aficionado. His remarkable understanding of Galway and its past was manifested through the Galway Advertiser’s pages and his podcast with Tom Kenny.
O’Gorman was humble with his knowledge, never arrogant. His sociable nature was legendary. There were countless instances of his benevolence and kindness that he consciously kept away from public knowledge. The absence of his comforting and reassuring voice is still hard to accept. He had that unusual ability wherein every interaction with him left you feeling uplifted, regardless of your prior mood. Merriment was central to each of his meetings.
In the tribute supplement published in the Galway Advertiser following his demise, President Michael D Higgins depicted him as a vital part of the art community, loyal to Galway and its surrounds, brimming with life’s prospects, utterly acquirable and a man who returned to his beginnings to make a memorable impact. His successor as the editor, Declan Varley, painted him as an eternal optimist, always sporting a colourful scarf and comfortable shoes, projecting a smile with a hint of mischief and an adventurous spirit. He was a father of five, a grandfather of four, and he was a father figure to everyone at The Galway Advertiser. His son, Ben, perhaps put it best when he said, “Ronnie had faith in Galway, and Galway had faith in him.”
On September 28th this year, an autograph tree will be dedicated to O’Gorman’s memory in the renowned walled garden at Coole Park by Garry Hynes from The Druid Theatre. This distinctive honour for O’Gorman is rightfully earned.
O’Gorman is survived by his daughters, Sadhbh, Sian, Anna Joy and Sally, his son Ben, sons-in-law Manus and Paddy, his grandchildren, Ruby, Iseult, Beatrice and Ezra, along with his brother Phillip and sister Zan.