Tony Noctor (second left) with his siblings Paul, Vonnie and Thomas at his surprise birthday party in the Éire Óg clubhouse

By Elizabeth Lee

TONY Noctor got the shock of his life recently when he walked into the Eire Óg clubhouse in Carlow and found an entire crowd there ready to celebrate his 70th birthday.

“We had such a job getting him there!” laughed his sister Vonnie, who organised the surprise party along with their brother Thomas. “He got the shock of his life when he saw us all there. We had a great ole night,” she said.

Tony’s brother Paul was home from Manchester for the occasion, while sister Lilly Kenny sent her regards from Co Galway. Vonnie and Thomas pulled out all the stops to celebrate Tony’s birthday and even decorated the house that they all share in Ashgrove.

Tony is well known around Carlow because of his huge interest in soccer. He was a referee in the Carlow League as well as the Community Games, while he also managed Carlow Rangers and the ladies soccer team in Braun in the early 1980s. Nowadays his love for soccer is as strong as ever, but he also loves to play bingo in Carlow and Graiguecullen a few nights a week.

Tony’s family and many friends were there to celebrate his milestone birthday in the Eire Óg clubhouse and his family would like to thank the catering and bar staff there for being so good to them, and also Dylan Dooley, Tony’s nephew, who helped decorate the place ahead of the party.