YOU could sum up Dessie Gibson by saying he was one of a rare kind. A gifted showman; titles galore, absolutely. That was the public side. The personal qualities of the Dromara man came to the front line at a beautiful thanksgiving service led by Declan Walsh.

“Humanists value hard work, self reliance, determination and a connection to the natural world. Dessie Gibson was the very embodiment of those values. His life was defined by a profound simplicity and a single-minded devotion to his calling.