Tributes as 'the best of men' and Special Olympian Pat Dorgan dies

Tributes have been paid following the death of one of Ireland’s most successful Special Olympians.

Pat Dorgan, who became one of the stars of the Special Olympics in China in 2007, and who afterwards became a poster boy for inclusion through sport, died peacefully at the Dorgan family home on Cork’s northside on Thursday surrounded by members of his family. He was 59.

His funeral Mass will be celebrated at the North Cathedral at 10am on Saturday — the day before what would have been his 60th birthday.

In a post on social media, one of his brothers, the author and poet, Theo Dorgan, described him as “the best of men”.

“He brought us to our best selves, he taught us to love with open, fearless hearts,” he said.

Pat, who had Down Syndrome, endeared himself to all who met him, with his sister Angela once describing him as “the glue” that held the family of 16 together.

Having won several provincial and national medals in table tennis, Pat was selected to represent Ireland at the 2007 Special Olympic World Games in Shanghai where he beat some of China’s top athletes in their favourite sport — winning bronze in the mixed doubles and in the singles competition.

Pat Dorgan with then president Mary McAleese and her husband Martin before the Irish special Olympics team travelled to the 2007 games. Picture: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

Such was the force of his personality, he became the face of those games, appearing on broadcast and print media at home and abroad.

He went on to become the public face of the 2009 fundraising campaign for Special Olympics Ireland, he was part of an awareness campaign designed to increase participation in sport by people with an intellectual disability, and he was named a Cork Person of the Month for his inspirational achievements later that year.

At the Special Olympics European games in Belgium in 2014, he won gold in the singles and silver in the doubles.

He was described by his heartbroken family tonight as a force of nature and a great encouragement to his clubmates and to other Special Olympics athletes and their families.

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