I think Ray's death deserves more than a comment in the "So Farewell.." thread.
https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/iris...-dies-aged-68/
As someone who lived through his career both nationally, internationally and also a sports travel agent putting packages together to see Ireland play abroad, I remember Ray with great fondness and he was literally a man of the people. One of my friends missed his flight home following an away game and Ray put him on the team plane. Another friend comments as follows:
".....and my abiding memory is of a late night in his suite in the Holiday Inn on July 4 1994 after we had lost to the Dutch in Orlando...while some of the hordes of the "You'll-never-beat-the-Irish" brigade pointed their mouths towards Mc Dougall Street, or whatever that downtown drinking street was called, to celebrate the loss...tear-wept others fell back to the solitary silent drinking at the bar in the hotel ...Treacy went around and invited a few of us up to his suite for the fireworks over Disney Studios from his balcony and for the eats and drinks on tap in his room. The crowd sized bath had bottles and bottles of spirits bobbing in a massive ice flow and the hotel manager and his missus were cooking spare ribs and such in the en suite kitchenette..Paddy Reilly and others were there, including Ray's then pulchritudinous daughter, and sing song and japes ultimately drowned and doused the football blues...".
He had a good career across the water, came home to play for the Hoops and others and even scored for Ireland while in the LoI.
Thanks for the memories, Ray.
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