Tag Archives: Munterconnaught

February 24, 2014 · 9:00 pm

A successful weekend

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We had a busy weekend. The local Ramor Inn Golf Society had very kindly decided to dedicate its annual fundraising effort this year to CRY Ireland, in memory of Sean.

Susanna arrived home from France on Friday; we were joined later that day by Mary, Aoife and Liam. There was a quiz and raffle in the pub, and a ‘corner session’ afterwards with Caroline, Seán, Noel, myself and others banging out a few tunes and songs. It turned out to be a late night.

The golfers were up and out early on Saturday morning, at Virginia Golf Club. We stayed at home most of the day, and watched the rugby – a great game, notwithstanding Ireland’s narrow defeat to England.

Pauline, Liam and I went to the pub again that night, and met up with many of our friends. There was music and a raffle.

When all the money was counted, it turned out that €2,520 had been raised for CRY. We are delighted with this, and very grateful to all those who made it happen or helped in any way, and the local community who supported it so generously. It was a fitting tribute to Sean’s memory, and will go towards preventing the sudden death of other young people. Sean would be pleased and proud.

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August 15, 2011 · 2:12 pm

Our weekend

Mossie, Sean, Liam Óg and Ray

It’s been a busy weekend. Early on Friday morning Pauline, Susanna and I were in Dublin for continued heart screening (so far, so good). Munterconnaught Gaelic Football Club opened its new (magnificent) facilities on Friday night – as part of this, the heritage society staged an exhibition of photographs – mostly old ones of local people, but there was also a selection of Sean’s photos of the area, which drew a lot of interest.

An excellent concert followed – the high point, Pauline and I thought, was a great rendition of ‘All the Lies’ by Timmy, Martina, Geraldine and Kieron. I sang ‘Will You Go, Lassie, Go’ with Noel, Pauric and Jim, plus Caroline on fiddle and Breda on harp. We had a few drinks in the pub, and got to bed around three. Continue reading →

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March 24, 2011 · 11:31 am

Funeral address

I addressed the congregation briefly at Sean’s funeral, on 20 October last. This is what I said.

On behalf of Pauline, Susanna and myself, I would like to thank everyone who has come here today … relations, our friends and Sean’s friends, and members of the Munterconnaught community.

Over the past few days, the help and support we have received from our neighbours and friends has been immense. They are wonderful people. Continue reading →

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March 11, 2011 · 3:23 pm

Sean and Gaelic football 4

9/4/02 – Sean played about three-quarters of a match for the under-12s against Kill, and apparently he did very well. Munterconnaught had a big win. Sean was very pleased with himself.

20/4/02 – Sean had to be at Boylan’s at 10 for a Gaelic football club trip to Croke Park … Sean arrived home sporting a Meath baseball cap (he supports Meath), having had a great day and very impressed with the size of Croke Park etc.

23/4/02 – Sean had an away match for Munterconnaught under-12s against Knockbride … They lost the match but it was only a challenge match – Knockbride had supplied the (biased) referee, and had been extremely unsporting, wetting the seat in the Munterconnaught dressing-room so that the Munterconnaught players couldn’t sit down, and so on.

30/4/02 – Sean had a Gaelic football match, away, against Ballymachugh – Munterconnaught lost, and he didn’t get a game.

21/5/02 – Sean had his Gaelic football Quarter-final against Arva, away … Munterconnaught lost – apparently the other team was very dirty, and Sean got a punch in the mouth at one point.

15/4/03 – Sean played a Gaelic football match against Cuchullains for Munterconnaught under-12s, and scored two goals and a point – he was delighted with himself.

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January 30, 2011 · 6:08 pm

Sean and Gaelic football 3

Sean with Armagh Gaelic football star Oisin McConville - 2 January 2004

20/4/03 – Pauline and I had a four-mile walk, ‘around the block’ – the kids went ahead on their bikes, Sean and I having mended his puncture. On the way, Sean’s Gaelic football trainer, Dennis Nolan, stopped to check Sean’s availability for a match on Tuesday – he says that Sean is ‘making a difference’ to the under-12 team.

22/4/03 – Sean had an away under-12 football match at Ballymachugh – his team won and he scored another goal, so he was very pleased.

6/5/03 – Sean played a Gaelic football match, against Arva, which his team lost – he didn’t score this time.

12/5/03 – Sean had an away match against Knockbride – Munterconnaught lost and he didn’t score, although he hit the post.

27/5/03 – Sean played in the Cavan under-12 quarter-final – Munterconnaught lost narrowly, to his huge disappointment. Continue reading →

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January 8, 2011 · 5:25 pm

Sean and Gaelic football 2

Munterconnaught under-14s, 14 April 2005

The following are extracts from my diary.

6/4/04 – I played some football on the lawn with Sean. He had an under-14 Gaelic match against Killinkere, which went well – Munterconnaught won by two points. Sean started in goals but moved to the defence, which he now feels is his best position, and enjoyed himself enormously.

13/5/04 – Munterconnaught played Knockbride in an under-14 match. Noel asked me to be an umpire and I complied, so I spent much of the match chatting to the Knockbride umpire and one or other of the goalkeepers. Sean played very well in defence, but Knockbride won fairly comfortably.

18/5/04 – Sean had a Gaelic football match, away to Killygarry. He had left his football boots in Donnybrook, so he had to ring around and borrow a pair … [later] Sean’s match had gone very badly – they had lost, and the referee had not allowed them to tackle – apparently Sean had got a yellow card and Shane a red, for very little.

20/5/04 – Sean had a Gaelic football match in Mullagh, against Cuchullains … Munterconnaught won the match by eleven goals or so, and have apparently qualified for the quarter-finals. Sean was delighted. He said he was marking Cuchullains’ best player, who was sent off for punching him. Continue reading →

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November 16, 2010 · 11:13 am

Sean’s world 1

Sean lived on the southside of Dublin for the first seven years of his life … first in Windy Arbour, where his mum and I rented a house on returning from London in 1991, and then in a house we bought in Broadford Lawn, Ballinteer … we moved into it on 2 July 1992, when Sean was 11 months old.

We migrated from Dublin to Munterconnaught, in rural Co. Cavan, on 16 August 1998 … Pauline and I felt that the children (Sean’s sister was not yet five) would have a better lifestyle in the countryside. We were right.

First we rented a house while ours was being built; we have lived in our current house since 17 December 1999.

In his 12 years in this area, Sean made a big impression on a lot of people. Considering the relative isolation of where we live, his impact was remarkable. Hundreds of people were deeply affected by his death; his funeral was massive and there have been innumerable tributes and expressions of sorrow on Facebook and elsewhere. Yet when we first moved here we knew just three people locally. Continue reading →

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