Dick Roche
Born in Cannon street in 1935 you could say Dick was involved with Mount Sion for most of his life , he started playing Hurling with and Football with Ard Na Greine in the Street Leagues, before joining Mount Sion he played Minor Hurling with Ferrybank for a year, in 1953 he won Minor Hurling honours with the club and was also a member of the Junior Hurling team beaten in the County Final that year.
He took over as goalkeeper after a bad injury to Johnny O Regan in 1956 and in November that year he played his first game on goal for Waterford in Croke Park where he came on for the injured Johnny Quarry against Dublin.
In 1957 Dick won Munster Senior Hurling honours and played in the All Ireland Final that year losing out to Kilkenny, from 1956 to 1964 he played Inter County for Waterford on goal but also outfield at half-back and even played Inter county Football on a few occasions.
But Dick will primarily be remembered for the 60 years service he gave to his beloved Mount Sion, he played his first game for the club in 1953 as a Minor and he played his last in 1984 in Junior Hurling having won 13 Senior Hurling Championships, 3 Senior Football, and 1 Minor medal. After he hung up his boots he was actively involved with the club on the Committee, as Social Director and finally as Life President a role which he said he was deeply honoured to take.
In 2001 Dick wrote “The Mount Sion Story “ which still serves as the definitive history of the first 70 years of the club, Dick was a regular at all Mount Sion events and matches and was always there with words of encouragement for players and mentors alike, he will be sorely missed by everyone involved with the club, to his wife Chrissie, sons Peter, Christopher and Dick and daughters Frances, Deirdre and Rosaleen and to his grand-children and extended family we extend our deepest sympathies.
Ní bheidh mo leithéid arís ann.