Hailing from Kilmoganny in Co. Kilkenny, William (Billy) was an army man who served on a number of tours of duty with the UN. As hurling was his sport, he fitted in nicely when he came to live in Collinstown. He trained the old Collinstown club to a junior championship in 1967 and played on the Lough Lene Gaels team that won an Over 40s competition that was run in conjunction with the Mullingar Steak Festival in 1973.

Billy's son Seamus won senior championship medals with the Gaels in 1975 and '76 and played for Westmeath against his father's beloved Cats in the 1976 Leinster championship semi-final at Cusack Park. Members of Lough Lene Gaels club formed a guard of honour at Billy's funeral in Collinstown on June 4 as a mark of respect to the man who ran a filling station and shop in the north Westmeath village from 1983 to 2001.