Frank Hogan, the owner of the famous John 3:7 sign and one of the most recognisable of GAA supporters, has passed away after an illness.

A committed Christian evangelist, Hogan's John 3:7 sign was a fixture at GAA matches for over three decades, usually being held aloft on Hill 16 and other terraces around the country whenever a score was landed.

The distinctiveness of the sign on match-days made Hogan something of a celebrity among GAA fans, particularly hurling supporters.

The sign refers to a verse in the Gospel of John which reads - "Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again."

He told the Irish Examiner in 2018 that he got the inspiration for the sign when watching the 1987 Wimbledon men's final when Pat Cash beat Ivan Lendl.

As the victorious Australian climbed through the crowds to get to his family and supporters, Hogan saw a man holding a car number plate with the message John 3:16 and he decided to do likewise for hurling and Gaelic football.

He originally carried a John 3:16 sign to events but told the Limerick Leader he switched to John 3:7 following a Michael Jackson concert in Páirc Ui Chaoimh in 1988.

"People kept asking me at a Michael Jackson concert, touching my arm all the time and asking about it. It is a very long verse so I couldn't get it out. That's when someone showed me John 3:7," he told reporter Peter Corbett.

Hogan was born in Tipperary but lived in Castletroy in Limerick for many years, becoming a supporter of Limerick GAA teams.

He has been absent from GAA grounds with illness in recent years and wasn't present in Croke Park when Limerick ended their 45-year-wait for an All-Ireland title in 2018.