“A family man and a community man”- Tributes paid to Waterford Crystal stalwart George O’Mahony

George O’Mahony of Belvedere Avenue passed away aged 87 on Saturday, January 3 2026.

George was part of the first generation of workers at Waterford Crystal, beginning work in 1955 and spending more than 30 years at the glassmaking site. George dedicated another 28 years of his later life towards volunteering with Saint Vincent de Paul.

He was born in Dublin but grew up in Portlaw, while also having spent time in John’s Hill.

George is survived by his wife Eileen, children William, Jim, George and Elaine, siblings Frank, Mavis and Rebecca, and his nine grandchildren.

For those who knew him best, George’s life was governed by a drive to do well by others.

“He was very helpful to people on a personal level,” his son William said.

“A lot of people came up to me over the last few days, when we're having the funeral and the ceremonies and all that and saying to me ‘nobody will know, only me and your dad, what he done for me.

“People he helped out get out of fixes that they might have been in, and he mightn’t have been able to do anything personally for him or he mightn't been able to advise him personally, but he always made it his business to find somebody who could help the people out, point people in the right direction.” 

During his time at Waterford Crystal, George was a key figure in driving collections for Meals on Wheels.

George partnered with Tommy Allen, a neighbour from Belvedere, to corral fellow Crystal workers into donating a small sum of their wages to charitable causes.

He dedicated time towards volunteering at the old men's hostel on Lady Lane and Civil Defence in Waterford.

Following his retirement from his work in the glass factory in 1987, George turned his sights towards work as a publican, having grown up in a family that owned The Well Pub on Yellow Road.

In 1990, George became the proprietor of DeLacey’s Tavern in Kilmeaden, now known as O'Donnacha’s Bar, spending five years at the helm of the establishment.

A keen football fan, George was a regular sight at Waterford FC matches.

In 1988, he travelled to West Germany to support Ireland in the European Championships, and was there to see Ray Houghton deliver an iconic 1-0 victory over England.

George was one of thousands of Irish fans who will be forever immortalised through Christy Moore’s ballad ‘Joxter Goes to Stuttgart’.

William recalled that trip resembling something of legend in their household growing up. ‘“I've never seen in my whole life,’ he said, ‘so many grown men crying and I was one of them.’”

William recalled his father having a “wicked sense of humour.” 

“It was a great childhood, great…he inspired me. I went on to have four sons of my own, and they're all grown men now. The youngest is 27, they're all doing well for themselves, thank god. But he inspired me to want to be a father.

“Probably the best compliment that I could give the man was several times when I was a young man, when I was in my teenage years, or when I was in my early 20s, I had friends say to me: ‘You know, I wish my dad was more like yours.’ 

“He had great time for us, for holidays, making sure we were all right...He always assimilated himself with our group of friends.” 

Speaking at George’s requiem mass in St. Paul’s Church, Lisduggan, Fr. Pat Fitzgerland said: “He’s been a positive and a noble presence among us for so many years.

“George had a treasured and respected place in so many communities…It was very much in George’s nature to get involved and give generously of his time to respond to the needs he saw around him.

“He was regularly to the forefront of the fundraising efforts for a variety of good causes…he was in short, a family man and a community man.”