---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Michael O'Sullivan was my great friend…"
description: "\"Michael O'Sullivan was my great friend. But I don't ever remember telling him that. The words that are spoken at a funeral are spoken too late for the ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/ian-bannen-243334_death_michael-o-sullivan-was-my-great-friend-b_1884769.png"
---

#  Michael O'Sullivan was my great friend. But I don't ever…

![“Michael O'Sullivan was my great friend. But I don't ever remember telling him that. The words that are spoken at a funeral are spoken too late for the man who is dead.” quote by Ian Bannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/ian-bannen-243334_death_michael-o-sullivan-was-my-great-friend-b_1884769.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/ian-bannen-243334_death_michael-o-sullivan-was-my-great-friend-b_1884769.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/ian-bannen-243334_death_michael-o-sullivan-was-my-great-friend-b_1884769.png)

> “Michael O'Sullivan was my great friend. But I don't ever remember telling him that. The words that are spoken at a funeral are spoken too late for the man who is dead.”

Ian Bannen

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Words spoken at a funeral often come too late, reflecting regret over missed opportunities to express appreciation while someone was alive.

**In simple terms:** Words at funerals are often late.

Key Takeaway

Speak appreciation before loss.

Themes

mortality regret friendship communication grief timing

Mood

somber reflective melancholic

Type

Death:1 Dying:0 Friendship:1 Funeral:1 Great friend:1 He man:0 Late:1 Men:0 Remember:0 Too late:1 Late Man:0 Funeral Spoken:0 Spoken Funeral:0 Spoken Late:0

When to use this quote

- end‑of‑life conversations
- memory honoring
- relationship reflection

Key Concepts

philosophy of death emotional intelligence legacy building

Questions to Reflect On

- What would you say if you had more time?
- How can you express gratitude now?

A Different Perspective

Late words cannot change the past.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Funeral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funeral/) [Great friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-friend/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/)

## Related quotes

> [“And I can tell you, without question, that it’s too late for any man who goes to war. Even if he lives, he’ll never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-nelle-patrick/and-i-can-tell-you-without-question-that-it-s-too-late-for-any-man/)

[J. Nelle Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-nelle-patrick/)

> [“Said the straight man to the late man Where have you been I've been here and I've been there And I've been in between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-crimson/said-the-straight-man-to-the-late-man-where-have-you-been-i-ve-been/)

King Crimson

> [“BOYS LEARN TOO LATE THAT BEING “THE MAN,” IS NOT THE SAME THING AS BEING A MAN”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atticus-poetry/boys-learn-too-late-that-being-the-man-is-not-the-same-thing-as-being/)

[Atticus Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atticus-poetry/)

> [I got my first job when I moved to Los Angeles. I worked at a coffee shop for five years and it was one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-leclerc/i-got-my-first-job-when-i-moved-to-los-angeles-i-worked-at-a-coffee/)

[Katie Leclerc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-leclerc/)

> [I wish Elton Brand the best. He's a great guy. He's always going to be a great friend of mine, regardless of what goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-davis/i-wish-elton-brand-the-best-he-s-a-great-guy-he-s-always-going-to-be/)

[Baron Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-davis/)

> [ Out of the guys, I'm closest to Matthew Perry. He's a great friend. He cracks me up\[on the set\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courteney-cox/out-of-the-guys-i-m-closest-to-matthew-perry-he-s-a-great-friend-he/)

[Courteney Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courteney-cox/)

> [We're not great friends, but I admire him. If he thinks he's the best player of the century, that's his problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pel/we-re-not-great-friends-but-i-admire-him-if-he-thinks-he-s-the-best/)

[Pele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/)

> [I never enjoyed my work more than when I worked with William Powell. He was a brilliant actor, a delightful companion, a great friend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrna-loy/i-never-enjoyed-my-work-more-than-when-i-worked-with-william-powell/)

[Myrna Loy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrna-loy/)

> [Happy birthday to a wonderful daughter and a great friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happy-birthday-to-a-wonderful-daughter-and-a-great-friend/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Steve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor. His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-iger/steve-jobs-was-a-great-friend-as-well-as-a-trusted-advisor-his-legacy/)

[Bob Iger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-iger/)

> [When I thought I finally had a chance with yo, you go and ruin it all by saying: Youre a great friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimeelouisee/when-i-thought-i-finally-had-a-chance-with-yo-you-go-and-ruin-it-all/)

Aimeelouisee

> [A friend will call you an idiot, but a best friend will not only call you one, but act like one with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-friend-will-call-you-an-idiot-but-a-best-friend-will-not-only-call/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [My career could've been anything, I just wasn't that good at other things. I'd say it was fairly easy starting out as I did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-thompson/my-career-could-ve-been-anything-i-just-wasn-t-that-good-at-other/)

[Teddy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-thompson/)

> [“A great friend can act like a trash can with a hole in the bottom. To listen to someone else's personal garbage with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-rose/a-great-friend-can-act-like-a-trash-can-with-a-hole-in-the-bottom-to/)

[Doug Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-rose/)

> [A great friend inspires you to improve yourself without even saying a word, just being around your friend makes you want to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/a-great-friend-inspires-you-to-improve-yourself-without-even-saying-a/)

[Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/)

## More Death quotes

> [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/)

[Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/)

> [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/)

[Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/)

> [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/)

[Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/)

> [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/)

[Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/)

> [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/)

J. Anthony Torino

> [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/)

[Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/)

> [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/)

Alan W. Powers

> [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/)

[Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/)

> [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/)

[Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/)

> [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/)

[Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/)

> [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/)

[Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/)

[Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Michael O'Sullivan was my great friend. But I don't ever remember telling him that. The words that are spoken at a funeral are spoken too late for the man who is dead.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ian Bannen"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-bannen/michael-o-sullivan-was-my-great-friend-but-i-don-t-ever-remember/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Death"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-bannen/michael-o-sullivan-was-my-great-friend-but-i-don-t-ever-remember/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/ian-bannen-243334_death_michael-o-sullivan-was-my-great-friend-b_1884769.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/ian-bannen-243334_death_michael-o-sullivan-was-my-great-friend-b_1884769.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f04/ian-bannen-243334_death_michael-o-sullivan-was-my-great-friend-b_1884769.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Michael O'Sullivan was my great friend. But I don't ever remember telling him that. The words that are…” — Ian Bannen",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ian Bannen",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-bannen/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Michael O'Sullivan was my great friend....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-bannen/michael-o-sullivan-was-my-great-friend-but-i-don-t-ever-remember/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-bannen/michael-o-sullivan-was-my-great-friend-but-i-don-t-ever-remember/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
