Laochra Nemo Jim Cremin

This weekend we host the 4th Annual Jim Cremin Over 35s Memorial Tournament. Jim Cremin was Nemo legend who passed away in November 2020.

You can access the tournament page here and the tournament app here.

Here is the piece written by David O'Kelly in The Nemo Rangers Story 1922 - 2022 on Jim.

The tributes that poured in after the untimely passing of Jim Cremin in November 2020 were a testament to his status as an iconic individual who was unique in his understanding of the human spirit and the need for everyone to be nurtured and appreciated. He was described as ‘the spiritual leader of our club, the heartbeat’ of what Nemo represent, the supreme motivator who inspired generations and an extraordinary positive influence on all who met him. No one will dispute those attributes while everybody will have their own memories and fond recollections of a friend to you and me. We cannot be selfish in keeping his legacy to ourselves. We have to share that with the many other aspects of his life that he felt privileged to be part of – his colleagues and pupils in Colaiste Chriost Ri, his UCC family, his charity work with Trócaire, muintir Chorca Dhuibhne, go hairithe muintir na Gaeltachta and the many groups and individuals that he took a personal interest and involvement with. Of course his great loss is felt most by his wife, Bernice, and family members.

Jim grew up in the Rectory area of Ballyphehane and was manager and chief bottle washer of local teams in the Nemo street leagues of the late sixties. At that stage he was starring in goal for the famous Coláiste Chríost Rí hurling team which won the Harty Cup in 1968, denying Limerick CBS a unique five in a row. On entering UCC he became secretary of the hurling club and won his precious Cork County Senior Hurling Championship medal, being part of the College 1970 winning team against Muskerry. He followed this up by winning a Fitzgibbon Cup medal in 1971. On returning to Nemo, later in ’71, he took over in goal for the winning of the club’s Intermediate Hurling County title against Carrigtwohill. It was quite a haul of medals for the young man who was only a few weeks overage and unable to join his friends on the famous Nemo minor team of 1970 that won the county hurling and football double. Jim could see the potential that was emerging in the club teams and was instrumental as an officer in the emergence of a strong underage section. By the mid seventies he had now returned as a science teacher to Coláiste Chríost Rí and immediately got involved with a variety of school teams, particularly in hurling. His talent and skills as a leader and mentor to young people and colleagues had emerged and would be a lasting testimony throughout his career. While possessing a lovely teaching style, he still identified and sought to help all his pupils, regardless of their ability. Recent teaching colleague, Paul Kerrigan, professed that even after retirement Jim Cremin was still the caring and steadying influence on young people regardless of the crisis situation they may have found themselves in. In 2016, Jim became a reluctant retiree but continued to keep a close link with Coláiste Chríost Rí while also joining the staff of UCC on a consultancy basis. He was very familiar with sporting life in UCC as a regular mentor to College teams with his lifelong friend, Billy Morgan.

In Nemo, Jim had become a constant presence on the sidelines with teams from senior to the youngest of the young. He could move seamlessly from the white heat of senior championship fever to the social banter of Junior B or C, from the intensity of pre-match motivation to the fun and enjoyment of street league free for all. His mantra was ‘We’re all Nemo and no Nemo person is ever left alone’. He took a personal interest and, when needed, a lasting friendship to all who crossed his path. When he became club chairman in the early 1980’s he was the right man at the right time. It was a challenging period financially. During the austerity of the 80’s he headed up a committee to secure employment for club members. Most of all he could lift peoples spirits at vulnerable times in their lives. This was most evident is his eloquence at funerals when he was regularly asked to give eulogies for friends. People relied on Jim to find the words to express their sorrow and sadness. He delivered with a beautiful range of language and sentiment, each piece memorable and unique, often in tragic circumstances. On so many club occasions, Jim was the chosen one to meet, greet, host, compare and add his special narrative to proceedings. He always had a yarn, a roguish smile and could diffuse a situation with an opportune funny story at the right time. In life, certain people stand out, most of all they are a positive influence on us, they inspire us to be better individuals, they personify our important values – loyalty, friendship, integrity, spirit. Jim Cremin stood out and stood up - his legacy would be that your club would be a place to develop the values that followed him all his life.