Who was Eamon Farrell? Tributes pour in as actor Colin Farrell's father, a former Shamrock Rovers player dies at 83 after 'long illness'

Colin Farrell's father, Eamon Farrell, was a former football player who had earlier played for Shamrock Rovers. Eamon died peacefully at 83 at Beaumont Hospital on April 9, surrounded by his family.

Eamon spent his last days in the hospital after a long illness. His death notice noted,

"Beloved husband of Eileen, loving fathe of Eamon, Catherine, Claudine, and Colin and beloved brother of late Tommy, Maureen and Sean. Sadly missed by Rita, step-children William, Keith, Sandra, Aidan, Deborah, Karl, Ciaran, and Gary, grandchildren James, Ellen, Henry, Stella and Oscar, in-laws and partners, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbors and friends."

Eamon was a former football player who played for the Shamrock Rovers in the 1960s, when the team won the 1962 FAI Cup. Shamrock Rovers also paid tribute to Eamon on social media and shared a photo of him wearing his Rovers jersey, with the caption documenting his history with the team.

"Eamon joined Rovers in 1960 at 18 years of age from the famous schoolboy nursery club Home Farm."

What has Colin Farrell said about his late father, Eamon Farrell?

While Hollywood star Colin Farrell is yet to comment about his father Eamon Farrell's death on April 9, the actor once mentioned that his teenage dream was to follow in his dad's foosteps and become a footballer.

While speaking to US chat show host David Letterman, Colin said,

"I played until I was about 15 and I thought it was what I wanted to do. And then I realised I'd do something less meaningful."

While speaking about his dad's football career, Colin mentioned that he takes inspiration from him.

"My parents were both originally working class, but we were middle to upper class. Dad played football till he was 26 or 27; after that he owned a fish-and-chip shop by a gold course, The Little Chip Inn. Honest to God. He never let us forget the wit of that. Then he had a restaurant. He has a health-food store in Dublin called "Down to Earth."

Looking back at his childhood days, Colin Farrell mentioned that he was "the baby" and he got away with more, since his parents weren't "as hawkeyed" with him as they were with his older brother.

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He debated that while he did have the "easiest time," it was not because he was the favorite but more so because his parents were fatigued with parenting by the time he was born.

Eamon Farrell's funeral mass is scheduled to take place on April 12, at 10 a.m. at the Church of Our Lady of Victories, Ballymun Road, followed by a cremation at Glasnevin Crematorium at 12:20 p.m.

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