There’s widespread unhappiness within the North West footballing neighborhood, after the passing of long-time Finn Harps board member Derek Wilkinson.
A loyal Finn Harps fan and monetary supporter, Derek additionally ran a really profitable automobile dealership in Bray, County Wicklow earlier than retiring in 2020.
Regardless of transferring to Bray within the early seventies, Derek would usually make the lengthy journey to observe his beloved Harps across the nation – or as much as Finn Park on a Friday evening like so many others – over the next 5 a long time.
Derek was a long-time fixture on the board of Finn Harps, serving because the membership’s Chairman for a few years, in addition to the membership’s delegate to the FAI.
All the time a person to roll up his sleeves, Derek’s opinion was sought by many down by means of the years.
No job was too huge or too small for Derek when it got here to Harps and he offered membership lottos by the handful as shortly as he would give his opinion on critical membership issues.
His last function on the board got here as Vice-Chair alongside then-Chairman Sean Quinn, till he vacated his place in 2021.
Derek returned to his native Creeslough the place he lived lately.
He was a welcome face within the crowd and within the tea room at Finn Park just lately when Finn Harps welcomed Bray Wanderers to Finn Park, two golf equipment near his coronary heart.
Finn Harps chairman Ian Harkin mentioned Derek Wilkinson was an enormous servant to the membership and it was the grit of individuals like him who’ve saved the membership going.
“Finn Harps and the league of Eire have misplaced an enormous servant to the sport, for over twenty years Derek served our membership as delegate within the FAI and his work was rewarded with life membership.
“At Finn Harps, Derek served on the board for so long as I might keep in mind, a life servant from the 70s proper by means of to current instances.
“Within the time period Finn Harps have been within the league over 12 golf equipment have folded, our survival on many an event has been all the way down to the work and willpower of his and other people like him.
“Their grit is the very material of our membership. Our ideas are together with his household and mates in Creeslough and Bray presently.”
Mr Wilkinson’s funeral particulars have but to be introduced.
Unhappiness at passing of businessman and Finn Harps official Derek Wilkinson was final modified: April 14th, 2024 by
