One of the founding members, and secretary of the Huddersfield Irish Centre, Paul Shanahan, has died suddenly, aged 73.

Husband to Kay, and father of Aidan, Kieran and Brendan, he was born in Abbeydorney, County Kerry in Ireland.

One of a family of four, he was a keen scholar and sportsman and after turning out for the county hurling minor side he gained the first of his degrees at Maynooth College.

In 1965, he left home for Huddersfield, and began teaching at St Augustine’s RC Secondary Modern School, where he made many lifelong friends while embracing a variety of new ventures. He formed a chess team which won the Yorkshire Division 2 championship, started the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, founded a group newspaper called The Bugle and qualified as a schools Rugby League coach.

In 1970, he moved to Huddersfield Technical College to teach General Studies before he gained promotion to Head of Department for Adult Education. During this busy period he obtained a masters degree in Education at Manchester University. When he retired in 2002 he left with the accolade of being the longest-serving member of the college.

Away from the classroom, the golfing skills honed on the famous Ballybunnion course were continued at Crosland Heath.

He also liked nothing better than researching. Whether in New York or New Zealand, or Canada or Australia, Paul always made time to research his family history.

“I think what he didn’t know about Kerry, Ireland and Irish history wasn’t really worth knowing,” said Pat Conaghan, president of the centre and one of Paul’s close friends. Such knowledge enabled him to help found a group called the Huddersfield Irish Society, a community radio initiative and organizers of the local Rose of Tralee competition.

He read at Mass for over 40 years, collected for Christian Aid, was a governor at All Saints High School and was a multi-skilled worker who revelled as electrician, plumber and mechanic, when called upon to renovate his sons’ houses.

Within the Irish community he is best remembered as the driving force of a talented team who tirelessly worked on purchasing the Huddersfield Irish Centre. Upon the dawning of a new era, Paul and the committee began a period of hard graft with the aim of ‘Making Things Happen’ by providing a platform for all, but in particular the youth, to blossom. He therefore had double cause for celebration when he supported his son Brendan’s successes with Brothers Pearse GAA and the Irish Centre’s football team and the cups nestled in the Centre’s trophy cabinet.

The Centre also reaped rich rewards in music, song, dance, parades, plays and supporter groups from many backgrounds. Pulsating with creative expression, it quickly became the cultural and social epicentre of Irish life in the town. At the much-celebrated fifth anniversary, Paul referenced The Senior Citizens Group and the overseas students studying English as two examples of how the Irish Centre had offered support for those who longed to meet and develop their skills.

Friend John McLoughlin said: “The glowing pride that evening hid a will of iron. The dream had been realised but the work would continue. He was on a mission; the passion still burned brightly and the Centre would flourish”.

Mr Shanahan’s funeral was at The Abbey in Abbeydorney.