Joe was born in Duleek, Co Meath, the youngest of a family of eight. He attended the local Primary School and then graduated to Drogheda CBS, where he won two Leinster Colleges Senior Medals playing in goal. He played for Duleek GAA Club and was the youngest Secretary of the Club when he was 18 years of age. He also played Minor Football for Meath, as their goalkeeper. Ireland was a different place in the early 60’s, when Joe Potter, with a good Leaving Cert achieved, left his native Duleek to start his career in the freight business, and lived with his Uncle Peter in Leinster St in the heart of Phibsboro. At the same time, I was going in the opposite direction in August 1963, from my native Dublin, to begin my teaching career in St Michael’s CBS Trim, Co Meath. I arrived in Kilbarrack in August 1971, at a time when nearly every day, many young families were moving into the new parish of Foxfield-Kilbarrack, from different parts of the city and many arriving from abroad to begin a new life and wanting the best education for their children and sporting facilities to occupy them.
KADCA, the Community Association had been formed in the community, and part of their mandate was to welcome and embrace all the newcomers, who responded positively and joined the Association in big numbers. Two people who were very involved with KADCA at that time were Michael Woods and Joe Potter. In those days, Joe seemed to be involved in everything from the annual Strawberry Fair, various Committees and being involved in the Parents Association of Scoil Lorcáin, where his sons, Vincent, Brendan and Kieran were attending or going to attend. Through his involvement in the school, I got to know Joe and built up a very good relationship with him. I recognised his potential, that he was somebody who would be an asset to Naomh Barróg founded in Scoil Lorcáin in June 1974, because of his experience, strong love and knowledge of the GAA. As Joe was very involved in so many other associations and activities, I had to wait for the proper occasion and appropriate moment to approach him. One day I knew his son Vincent was playing for one of our u10 teams.
I asked Vincent to tell his father that the team needed a lift to the game and could he help us. That was it. Job done. I knew by giving it time, letting him make new friends at the Weekly Mentors Meeting would eventually convince him that, he had a part to play in making Naomh Barróg a Club we would all be proud of. Soon afterwards he became Vice Chairman of the Club, challenging him to take more responsibilities in developing the fledgling club to higher ambitions and achievements. Michael Woods became a TD for Fianna Fáil in July 1977, when the Club decided to try and acquire the open space that was earmarked for a Ladies Prison on the Kilbarrack Road. Michael supported, encouraged us and had the key to open so many different avenues for the Club. Knowing the friendship Joe had with Michael Woods, I would ring him regularly, asking him to ring up Michael, or call around to his house to find out how things were progressing. Joe would do it willingly. Eventually, we got our dream fulfilled when a lease was signed with the Office of Public Works in 1982, after a campaign that lasted over four years. When it came for the opening of Páirc Bharróg in September 1974, we decided on a Dublin v Meath Senior Football Tournament with two of the best Managers, managing two of the best teams in Ireland at the time, Kevin Heffernan and Seán Boylan. It is amazing how fate can bring occasions and people together. As Joe made his way to Dublin in the 60’s and as I made my journey to Trim, both of us never realised that these earlier experiences in our lives were instrumental in ways for influencing our relationship and for creating a unique occasion, that brought 5000+ spectators to witness a wonderful game in the newly opened Páirc Bharróg. Joe’s work with Seán Boylan to fulfil the fixture was a miracle. On that day the Meath Goalkeeper, Jimmy Fay, the father of Darren Fay, was a past pupil of mine in Trim CBS, and was on a team that won the u14 County Final in Navan in 1964 when I coached them. The Club never rested on its laurels and continued to plan for the future, with vision and confidence. These are other projects that we achieved and that Joe was involved in.
In May 1985 we built temporary Dressing Rooms and Showers in co- operation with ANCO. To celebrate the official opening of the Dressing Rooms, the Club organised a Hurling Tournament between Dublin v Galway. Another visionary step for the Club was to be a pioneer and organise a Summer Camp in July 1989, long before Dublin County Board, or Leinster Council thought of the idea. The first Co-ordinator of that historic occasion was Brian Talty, a Galway legend In the early 90’s the Club decided to draw up plans for the building of a permanent Club House and employed Architects Traynor & O’Toole to do this. Sadly, the country was to experience a recession during this period, with mass emigration, that our Club experienced, with many of our players having to emigrate to England & the US and the plans had to be delayed. Joe was also on the Management Team along with Maurice Cassidy, Noel Moore and Manager Paddy Glackin when Naomh Barróg won the Intermediate League, in Parnell Park when beating St Maur’s Rush, and promotion to Senior Football for the first time in 1990. Great day for the Club. After 19 years as Chairman, I decided to step down. In 1994 a new Executive with Joe Potter as Chairman, and John Caulfield as Secretary was formed. During Joe’s Chairmanship, Tony Canning and Shane Mohan also acted as Secretaries, with Lar Mc Carthy becoming Secretary in 1998.
When the financial situation in the country improved, the dream became a reality, when the Executive, with Joe as Chairman and Lar as Secretary, Áras Bharróg was blessed and opened on the 12 th of September 2001. Our All- Weather Pitch was opened in 2004, and Hurling Wall was built in July 2017. Another progressive step was when Joe on behalf of the Club employed our first GPO, Martin Nolan in 2002. Joe’s time as Chairman from 1994 to 2002 was progressive and visionary. Kieran Canning who was Vice Chairman, was elected as the Club’s next Chairman at the 2002 AGM. Joe continued to be involved. He was always around the Club, involved in so many roles and projects from running the Thursday Quiz along with the Lotto, The Christmas Draw, The Golf Society and for organising the Tickets for the All- Ireland series, along with Tony Canning. For many years he was Club Delegate, to Dublin County Senior Board, a positioned he loved and enjoyed. Finally, Joe had a major influence in the development of Naomh Barróg.
He believed in and promoted the important ethos that has guided Naomh Barróg up to the present day. The Club was founded in Scoil Lorcáin for the good of young people and that the Club must listen to and treat all our members equally and with respect. Naomh Barróg acknowledges his generous contributions, and his passion and love for the Club. As we convey our sincere sympathies to his loving wife Carmel, his wonderful children, Vincent, Brendan, Kieran and Catherine, his cherished grandchildren, extended family, friends, neighbour and his Naomh Barróg family, on his passing, we thank them all for the gift they gave our Club, who was Joe Potter.
Solas na bhFlaitheas dá anam uasal dilis.
Dick Fields
