Final respects paid to legend of Kilkenny hurling

The link road between the lower and upper villages in Windgap was awash with red and white as the cortege of Bobby Jackman faced the hill for the final time on Thursday last.

After all parked up at the foot of it, it passed the guard of honour at the Tea Rooms where Bobby regularly came to dine and discuss his passion for hurling with Joe O’Shea, Nicky Hawe and friends.

Then along by the pitch entrance where the flags were at half-mast and the rolled back ball nets marked the end of the playing season where he soldiered in so many capacities for so long.

On by Scoil san Nicolas where the students and teachers in club colours lined the road recalling his county coaching input into so many schools in the county.

Bearing the number three jerseys of Windgap and Kilkenny, the cortege was then flanked by former players and club members and it proceeded right at the forge.

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The left towards Knockroe, Meallaghmore and the Slatequarries and the place of his birth that saw the games in Jim Powers, Sean Powers, Norris’s and the field at Shea’s Cross bring him to play for the local club.

At the church grounds he was accompanied by family friends and club members and met by Fr Pat Dalton, Fr Fergus Farrell and Fr Liam Barron for the final prayers.

Bobby was synonymous with Windgap, Kilkenny and hurling, as part of the Windgap team that went senior in 1970.

He played at full-back when a second county title was won in 1986, was manager for the third attempt in 2001 and a spectator at the recent junior semi-final.

Playing mainly in the number three or number one jerseys, Bobby proudly wore the black and amber at senior level when he made his debut in goal, on the day after his wedding, in a National Hurling League in 1974.

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Later on he was full-back on Kilkenny’s first Masters All-Ireland Hurling winning team of 1995 where he was joined by team mates Gerry Kenny and Shem Power.

The Jackman hurling era started with his neighbours and spread through his brother Paddy playing with St Edna’s in Gorey, Robert and Trevor in Windgap and later Robert playing and coaching with John Lockes and Trevor with Realt Dearg in Dublin.

It continues with his grandchildren with John Lockes.

Bobby coached the Windgap adult, juvenile, school hurling and camogie teams, club teams in Kilkenny and Tipp and served in a number of club officer positions.

At county level Bobby was the first county coaching officer with Georgie Leahy and the club’s first ever intercounty coach, where he brought the county minor hurling team and the Kilkenny senior camogie team to All-Ireland finals.

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A plasterer by trade and an entrepreneur across many areas his most recent venture was social dancing that saw one of his great achievements when packing the new Community Centre (O’Sheas) in April.

Bobby is survived by Robert Trevor, Linda, Anne, Jackie, brother Paddy and Shelia and grandchildren Shay, Robbie, Michéal and Carrie.