Fintan Butler

Deepest condolences to Rose and family on Fintans passing only just heard the sad news recently R i p Fintan a lovely gentleman .

Heartfelt Sympathies, Rose and all The Butler family.

Deepest symathy to Rose and family on the death of Fintan. May he rest in peace.

Will always remember Fintan as a brilliant coach at Lorraine Hockey Club but also as a real gentleman who had time for everyone on and off the pitch. He encouraged us to play well but also to enjoy it. Condolences to Rose, Gerard, Owen and the Butler family.

On behalf of all members past and present we offer sincere sympathy to Rose, Gerard, Owen and the Butler Family

Fintan was one of the founders of Lorraine Hockey Club who moved to the Phoenix Park in the 1960's with its sister club Civil Service Cricket Club.

He was Goalkeeper on the ground breaking team that won the Irish Junior Cup in 1971, beating Cork C of I. 2 nil in Cork.

When he finished playing he started his very successful coaching career. First with Manor House and then for Lorraine who had renamed as Phoenix Park. Other Clubs included St. Brendan's, Railway Union and Glenanne. This was followed with successful stints for various Leinster inter-pro teams culminating in success with Ireland U18 men and Ireland U21 ladies. Fintan achieved the highest level of coaching becoming a coach tutor.

Fintan was a regular on the side of the pitch at various locations but never more so than at home games in the Park where he gave advice and encouragement. He was honoured with Honorary Life Membership of the Club and was Club President of the Cricket Section.

As a player, coach and mentor Fintan embodied all that was good about our Club and the game of Hockey. An ever-present in the Park he will be sadly missed.
Fintan was a true gentleman with a devilish sense of humour.

Ar dheis go raibh a anam dilis

On behalf of Lorraine/ Phoenix Park and now Dublin North Hockey Clubs

Hundreds of us players, coaches, umpires and administrators have endless fond memories of Fintan as a person with an enquiring mind, always open to new ideas and the special way he helped us reach our potential. Personally I owe a debt of gratitude to Fintan, as a tutor of coaches, for stimulating in me a passion for coaching. He was the first person to express to me his appreciation of Stephen's hockey blog.

Condolences to Ger and Owen on the death of Fintan. I have fond memories of Fintan from my times on the Leinster and Irish hockey coaching committees. I also enjoyed watching his success in coaching Glenanne to the first ever top four finish in the Leinster senior league. He also capped Glenanne’s first ever international I.e. Kieran Bolger.. For the home countries under 18 tournament in 1988 in Coventry Bolger was in most people’s eyes the last player to make the panel, but not in Fintan’s mind. He selected him in the very difficult left full position. He played every minute of the tournament and Fintan led Ireland to a clean sweep. May he rest in peace.

Our deepest condolences on Fintans passing. He was a true gentleman. Thinking of you all at this difficult time.

Sincere sympathy to Rose, Gerry and Owen on the sad passing of Fintan.
Thinking of you all at this difficult time.

So sad to hear of Fintan's passing. I had the privilege of being coached by Fintan when I was on the Ireland U21s and trying to make the Ireland senior team. Goalkeeper was my position and Fintan was excellent both technically and as a mentor. I did make the Ireland team but I remember missing out on a squad for a tournament, and after a week or so Fintan phoned me to have a chat and to see how I was, that was the measure of the man, so kind and thoughtful. My condolences to you Rose, Ger and Owen

Sincere condolences to all of the Butler family. I knew Fintan through playing with Civil Service CC over the last decade or so, where he has left a lasting legacy. He was always welcoming and friendly, the definition of a gentleman. I'll always remember he was one of the first to send me a touching message when my wife passed away last year. May he rest in peace.

Mr. Butler(!) coached myself, my sister and my cousin in Manor House. The gentlest and most influential man around. He really was inspiring and I honestly believe it is because of him I have the best friends and memories through hockey and my kids continue on the story. Deepest sympathies to the Butler family but thanks for sharing him. x

Fintan was a truly lovely gentleman and a legend in the Cricket and Hockey circles. As a result of his expertise many a young man and girl progressed to play a very high standard of hockey, none more than Ger & Owen . I'd like to pass on my condolences to Rose, the lads and all his extended family.
Eddie English Railway Union.

Sad news.  Fintan was a great skin.  Remarkable wks for a man with a gammy hip. 

To the Butler Family

My deepest condolences to you on the passing of Fintan.

A true gentleman of our sport.

May He Rest in Peace.

Jimmy Leonard
Glenanne Hockey Club

Dear Rose, Owen and Gerry,

I have many fond memories of Fintan doing laps of the boundary at various cricket matches over the years, whether at the school games or down the club in Cabra, a quiet and reassuring presence at our games as young lads. May he rest in Peace

Owen, Karena, Florence, Hannah & Will,
We are so sorry to hear the passing of your dear Father and Grandad.
We are thinking of you at this difficult time and hope you can take comfort in all your wonderful memories of Fintan. I met him a few times at your house and he was a really lovely man.
Lots of love, Grace, Audrey, Brian & Tara

To Rose & family, Sincere condolences to you all on the passing of Fintan. He & I worked together very closely for many years and I found his professional and technical knowledge of the printing and paper industry to be invaluable particularly in framing contracts at home and abroad.He certainly did the State some service. I am sorry I cannot convey this condolence in person as we are currently out of the country.

Rose & Butler Family.
Very sorry to read of Fintans Death. Unfortunately I had not met him for many years since I retired from playing but I have great memories of many matches against Civil Service, His friendliness, sportsmanship .. honesty, and his loyalty to his club. May Fintan now rest in peace.

I was very sad to hear of Fintan’s passing and have many fond memories of him as a great hockey coach and mentor in Manor House school all those years ago. He was such a positive influence on all of us and one of life’s true gentlemen. Sincere sympathies to his family and may he Rest in Peace.

To Rose, Ger, Owen,

please accept our deepest sympathies on the passing on Fintan, who was a true gent and a permanent fixture in Civil Service Cricket Club,

When you played in the Park, you could be guaranteed to see Fintan there, and he always had a smile and time to chat,

He will be sadly missed, and from all at Railway Union Cricket Club, please accept our sincere condolences at this time,

Railway Union Cricket Club

Rose, Ger and Owen,

Sincere condolences on the passing of Fintan, he was a true gentleman, and will be missed in both the hockey and cricket community.

Having being coached by Fintan at Railway Hockey, you got to experience how good a coach/people person he was, how he managed to got the best out of every player and how committed he was to whatever team he was involved with.

In the summer when playing cricket in Civil Service, you were sure to see Fintan there, in some capacity and was always there for a chat.

Rose, Ger, Owen and their extended Butler family, I extend our deepest sympathy on the sad passing of Fintan, and going to the Park in the summer will not be the same without him there watching on

Gerard & Aoife O'Brien

I remember Fintan from my years at Lorraine HC. He was a courageous goalie who went on to become a dedicated coach. He was a lovely man. My condolences to his family.

Our deepest condolences to Rose, Gerard & Owen on your loss. Fintan was a gentleman. We are thinking of you at this difficult time. May Fintan RIP.

My deepest sympathy to Rose, Ger and Owen on the very sad loss of Fintan. A wonderful coach, a gentleman and very kind person.

Really sorry to hear about Fintan's passing. Condolences to all the family. Fintan inspired so many youngsters, from Manor House to Railway Union. A real gentleman. During my last game, I used a quote from Fintan " never hit wide at the near post". So wise. R.I.P.

So sorry to hear of Fintan's passing - both a legend of a hockey coach in Trinity and a true gentleman. Condolences to all the family.

Rose, our deepest sympathy on the passing of your beloved Fintan.
Thinking of you Gerard and Owen at this very sad time.
May he Rest in Peace.

Condolences to the Butler family on the passing of dear Fintan.Have fond memories of holidaying in Spain with him and his 'old ' friend Tom Rafferty who referred affectionately to him as ' Butch';playing badminton in Whitehall Rd. on Sunday mor nings ;performing valiantly in the 1971 All Ireland Junior final for Lorraine in the defeat of Cork CoI but most strikingly his lifelong loyalty to Lorraine HC and Civil Service CC.Go easy Fintan and may your gentle soul rest in eternal peace.

Our deepest sympathies Rose and family..
May Fintan RIP

We were so sorry to read of Fintan's passing our deepest sympathy to Rose Gerry and Owen We have great memories of Belvedere cricket in Cabra over the years. May Fintan's dear soul rest in peace.

Sincere condolences to Rose, Ger and Owen on Fintan's passing. Fintan was a significant part of our lives every summer over the last 3 decades in Civil Service CC. Always there for advice, for a chat, for a laugh. I was fortunate enough to be able to tell him how much we appreciated all he did when he was still alive. You couldn't meet a nicer person. Dave

Rose so sorry to here off your loss

On behalf of everyone here in Leinster Hockey, our sympathies to Rose, Ger and Owen and the wider Butler family on Fintan's passing.
Fintan is fondly remembered as a great coach - at schools, club and provincial level and also as a Coach Tutor to many.
May he Rest in Peace

Deepest condolences to Rose and all of Fintan’s family. I played hockey with Trinity College. Fintan started out by helping us when we were short of a coach but soon started coming to every session. He was so incredibly generous with his time and he took a genuine interest in each player’s development. To this day, every time I set out for a run, I think of the tips he gave me on my running technique! I was so fond of Fintan, he was a gentleman.

So sorry to hear of the loss of Fintan. Sincere condolences to Rose and all the family during this difficult time. He will always be remembered as a legend in Trinity Hockey. He seemed to always get the balance right between high performance and having the banter. He played a pivotal role in so many of our hockey careers and supported not only our development as players, but also as people. He will be fondly remembered. May he rest in peace.

Deepest sympathies to the Butler family. I was lucky enough to have been coached by Fintan in Manor House, we were unbeatable due to Fintans tactics, which were way ahead of the times. Such amazing fun memories. Also involved in Phoenix Park HC. Fintan was an absolute gentleman, may he RIP

I have fond memories of Fintan from my Trinity hockey days. He always seemed to be looking out for me and helped me develop as a person as well as a player. A true gentleman. My condolences to his family.

I have known Fintan over many years -forever a gentleman and great memories from our association with cricket and hockey - so sad to hear of his passing - sincere sympathy to you Rose - Gerry and Owen and immediate family - may his gentle soul rest in peace .

Remembering Fintan from our hockey days in Manor House School. He was an amazing coach and such a lovely man . He was a great influence on a lot of us girls who went on to play and be still involved in hockey to this day . Condolences to all the family. May Fintan Rest in Peace.

My sincere sympathy Rose, Gérard & Owen on the sad passing of Fintan, may his soul rest in peace.

Sincere condolences to Rose, Gerry and Owen and extended Butler family on the sad passing of Fintan. It was always a pleasure to meet Fintan in his beloved Civil Service Cricket Club and I was lucky enough to have the pleasure of many great conversations with him over the years. He truly was a pleasure to meet up with. May you rest in eternal peace Fintan.

Rose, we are both deeply sorry to hear of Fintan's passing. We were friends for many years, in fact it was through Fintan we first met over 50 years ago. Our prayers are with you and the boys on this sad day.

Deepest sympathies and condolences to Rose,Gerard, Owen and all the immediate family on their huge loss..You come across people in live, but in Fintan case a true friend, Gentleman and confidant…
He will be hugely missed by a lot of people,especially his family and to all connected to Civil service cc…
Always present at games until his recent illness. A great source of wisdom, advice etc especially to me in my time as chairman of this great club…He was always there to guide and support the committee if required , from a player to coach, helping the ground staff..supporter , and all roles connected with the club, not to mention his involvement in hockey..he will be hugely missed by everyone..
Rest well president..you were one of a special kind…

Fintan, Pres, was a father figure, friend and confidant to us all. He will be sadly missed and always remembered. Deepest condolences to Rose, Ger and Owen and wider family and friends

Deepest sympathy to Rose and family on the sad passing of Fintan, my thoughts and prayers are with you all at this sad time

Fintan was our coach in Manor House in the 1980s. He gave us a great skills training and was so generous with his time, endless patience! He was a total gent and one of life’s great people. All condolences to the Butler Family

Sincere sympathy to Rose, Gerard, Owen and all the Butler family on the sad passing of Fintan. He was always such a lovely gentleman. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Deepest sympathy to Rose, Gerry, Owen and extended family. Extremely sad to hear the news of Fintan's death. When I started out as a hockey goal keeper and cricket Captain many years ago Fintan was extremely helpful, very supportive and provided me with lots of sound advice and brilliant tips. He was in my opinion a true Gentleman in every way and remembered with warmth and much admiration by all in Civil Service Cricket Club and Lorraine Hockey Club. May Fintan rest in peace.

I was so sorry to hear the sad news this morning of Fintan’s passing. He coached me on the Leinster ladies hockey team many years ago. I have many fond memories of him. I remember some of his sayings as a coach and his tactics board with his little people on it! He was such a gentleman and we all loved him as our coach. We would want to win for him. One particular year he coached we won all our matches well in the interpros and I remember the buzz we all felt. He was proud of us all and we were delighted to do it for him. He made it all fun. Thinking of all his family and friends at this very sad and difficult time. Sincere sympathies to you all. May Fintan rest in peace.

The best sort of person you could ever wish to meet and get to know over many decades. A total gentleman, kind and generous to a fault, humble yet fiercely committed to the things in which he believed, an eternal smiling and humourous patience for all of us, far less wise and experienced than was our mighty Uachtarain.

Rest well Pres, you’ve well earned it after all those faithful years lovingly circumnavigating the square. Our sincerest love and respect will be with you always.

Deepest condolences to the Butlers and extended family from The Morrissey French branch.

My countless laps of the ground with him will remain one of my lasting memories of the club.

Our thoughts are with you all.

So sorry to hear about fintan. He was a lovely man with a great sense of humour. Brian was very fond of him. Sad time for all his friends and family and fellow cricketers