Pa O’Dwyer’s untimely passing has left the entire community in shock, since the Irish Strongman died at just 40 years old. In turn, countless prominent figures turned to social media to say their last goodbye to their colleague, friend, and a truly loved figure.
The entire community has gathered to mourn Pa O’Dwyer’s death and, in an effort to help those he loved the most, joined a GoFundMe campaign for his family. O’Dwyer left behind his partner, Layna, and three children whom he loved more than anything.
Community Reactions to Pa O’Dwyer’s Passing
Eddie Hall was one of the first to break the news, sharing posts on both YouTube and Instagram. He was a good friend of Pa and could clearly not hold in his emotions while talking about his passing. Eddie was also the one who organized a fundraiser for his family.
“I’d be lying if I said I haven’t cried my eyes out today because I have. Pa was a special person. He was a proper strong man, a proper legend. And most importantly, he’s just one of the funniest, most heartwarming, beautiful characters the strength world has ever seen.
And I just had to come here and say a few words because Pa was just such a good friend to me. You know, he always reached out when times were hard and you know, he’d see something online, he’d be the first one to be in my inbox and seeing if I’m okay.
It wasn’t just strong; loads of people are strong. What made Pa special was his personality. He could lift ridiculous weights, but then he could have people in stitches two seconds later. You know, he was just an amazing person,” said Eddie Hall in a YouTube video.
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The 2025 Strongest Man On Earth, Evan Singleton, was also left in disbelief about Pa O’Dwyer’s passing and decided to share a couple of words about his good friend. He pointed out one of Pa’s greatest features, his ability to make anyone laugh and smile.
“I’ve been friends with Pa for about six years now and he was a great dude, one of the funniest and nicest dudes that I’ve ever met and had the pleasure of competing with…
Never a serious moment with him. He was that guy that was just always smiling, always laughing; he wasn’t afraid to make himself look like a fool in order to make people laugh. He was one of the very few genuinely good people in the world.”
The 3x World’s Strongest Man, Tom Stoltman, was also very close to Pa O’Dwyer. Tom shared a simple but deep message on Instagram, once replying to Hall’s post and also sharing an Instagram story.
“Best friend in the sport. What an unbelievable guy. Rest easy Pa 💙” wrote Tom Stoltman in one comment.
“The worst news in this world. Love you forever my bro 💙” wrote Tom on his Instagram story.
Paddy Haynes revealed that Pa O’Dwyer was not only loved for his humorous spirit, but also because he built genuine friendships with many people. So, while many know him for his surface-level appearance, Paddy assures that Pa was an incredibly good man in all regards.
“A funny guy to everyone but not many got to know what a true friend Pa was to so many. A genuinely good man through and through. Rest easy brother 💜”
Arguably the biggest coaching figure in Strongman, Laurence ‘Big Loz’ Shahlaei, commended Pa O’Dwyer on the performances and battles on the competition floor, but also spoke about how fun it was to hang out with the 5x Ireland’s Strongest Man.
“Sat here totally in shock. RIP Pa!
Loved the battles over the years and you were always fun to be around. My love and thoughts go to Pa’s family.”
The former World’s Strongest Man, Arnold Strongman Classic, and Rogue Invitational champion, Martins Licis, shared a video on his Instagram story of one funny encounter that he had with Pa O’Dwyer. In the video, Pa makes Martins and everyone in the proximity laugh with ease, which goes to show why everyone loved to be around him. Martins also captioned the post with:
“The world lost someone very special this week. 💔 RIP Pa”
The Masters Deadlift World Record holder, Rauno Heinla, shared a picture of him and Pa shaking hands in front of a set of Atlas Stones. He also wrote:
“The strongman community is mourning today.
Please keep his family and close ones in your thoughts. RIP”
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Many other prominent Strongman figures have shared Eddie Hall’s fundraiser for Pa O’Dwyer’s family, paying tribute to their colleague in a simple but meaningful way. Although the weights will keep moving, it is safe to say that the shows won’t feel the same without Pa, especially for other professional Strongmen who enjoyed being in his company.
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