St Mary's Granard GAA Annual St Stephen's Day Walk
I was incredibly humbled to be contacted by club secretary Matt Smyth that the club where I first fell in love with Gaelic Games was going to direct the funds from one of their most important (and badly needed) annual fundraisers to my efforts to get treatment for what this disease that I had acquired.
Granard GAA led to my own underwhelming playing career, but inspired a lifelong grá that took me into club development as president of Barcelona Gaels for 5 of their most formative years and most recently I was hoping to establish Rio Casements as Brazil's first Gaelic Games club... alas...
It has been one of the most significant experiences of my return home after over 20 years and now walking with a stick that my first visit back to a park which held so many playing memories, now as a spectator and be welcomed by everyone as if the passing of time had never taken place..
The same characters, smiles and craic oozed from a community that truly knows how to welcome their own...
Granard GAA led to my own underwhelming playing career, but inspired a lifelong grá that took me into club development as president of Barcelona Gaels for 5 of their most formative years and most recently I was hoping to establish Rio Casements as Brazil's first Gaelic Games club... alas...
It has been one of the most significant experiences of my return home after over 20 years and now walking with a stick that my first visit back to a park which held so many playing memories, now as a spectator and be welcomed by everyone as if the passing of time had never taken place..
The same characters, smiles and craic oozed from a community that truly knows how to welcome their own...
 ah... The potential!
The day itself was amazing, perfect weather ensured a big crowd of walkers and I took my place on a chair outside the clubhouse feeling just a little self conscious but once the banter and craic took centre stage it was easy to not feel self conscious, it was also a brilliant opportunity to see so many blasts from the past extend the condolences to the people, who always when you spend time away have experienced the loss of family or friends.
I had been part of a team a schoolboy team that broke a 30 year hiatus in 1984 for the minor club and that would go on to dominate minor tournaments for the next decade and produce something of a golden generation that ultimately never delivered that elusive Senior county championship... we were maybe too fond of the craic when we came of age! When you have been 'away' traveling for many years it is always great grounding to come back and slip back into the real situations and friendships that had been forged so long before... the day left a great impression on me! It was also the day I would once again meet fellow clubman and great friend the legendary Chopper and how poignant that meeting would become! |
The beginnings of a golden generation LOL
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The event in the end raised a total of €2,460!!!
which has been deposited to the fund account (see below) and thank you to everyone who took part.
which has been deposited to the fund account (see below) and thank you to everyone who took part.
Thomas 'Chopper' Reilly 1969 - 2017 - RIP
My Facebook post from January 10 read...
"On Boxing Day Granard Gaa directed their annual fundraising walk to me and it was with big belly laughs, as it always was, that Chopper just turned up, as he always just did and said "you're an event manager... could you not have done something better than this... A WALK!! could you not get something impressive like No Sweat, the biggest band in Ireland' Well they were the biggest band in Ireland, that week!!! LOL and you were the man that unforgettably got them to Granard... RIP Chopper... some of the biggest belly laughs I ever had... your likes will not be seen again... stunned" Still so shocked... While Chopper was a few years older than me, our lives crossed so many times from when i joined your first classes in Dublin to add 'an extra native edge' to the class, traveling on Dublin buses with the multinational students collectively blessing themselves as we passed St James Gate, to one return to Ireland when you brought your beloved right hand drive 'player' white BMW when we got stopped by the cops in the pitch darkness outside Kilcogy on our way to the Carraig Springs, when flagged down I lowered the window to a slightly perplexed Garda as a 'Que pasa?' came from the actual driver.... it so wasn't what he expected and duly waved us on...
To Monaghan when we needed you to verify to a Garda, a bullshit story to discover you were mid your own bullshit story, to the day we met with GAA All stars posters flying for the new bar in Cartagena, to ultimately visiting in Cartagena to check out El Cafe Irlandes, you had indeed gone native and on and on... You were a legend dude and it still shocks me that we resolved to meet as soon as possible in 2017 and it hurts that when we did it was your wake... You affected everyone you ever met and my heart pains to think of your wonderful family who along with so many have shared your infectious spirit that will ensure your immortality! Rest easy Chopper you are so missed!! |
"Biggest band in Ireland" that week!! but Chopper got them to Granard
Granard GAA make a guard of honour lining the hill to Granard church awaiting Choppers final trip into town!
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A humble club still very much in the blood!!!
