I never had the pleasure of meeting him and Iâve been in tears. He brought joy to a lot of people in his short time on earth. More than I ever will thatâs for sure, if I live to a hundred. Kp you are a gent the way you introduced this awful thing.
Himself and Johnny Coen represented the genuine hope that Galway hurling fan got really excited about in 2012.
Talkin to heads tonight, hearing a little it was it like this and like that,no one was ott in all fairness, there was just a sad acceptance that no cunt cud ever truely know
[SIZE=6]âItâs so hard to believe our star, our hero, our idol has been taken from usâ[/SIZE]
[SIZE=5]A beautiful tribute has been made by the people of Kilbeacanty to Galway hurler Niall Donoghue sadly passed away last night.[/SIZE]
Niall Donoghue.
âAs we wake this morning we hoped that it was just a bad dream, a nightmare, that it isnât true, it couldnât be true. There is a cloud over Kilbeacanty, the sun came up but it did not take away the darkness.
âYou can feel the sorrow, nearly see it. Itâs totally calm even the dogs arenât barking. Itâs as if they know. Itâs like Kilbeacanty , Galway, the whole of Ireland, Australia and beyond is covered in a blanked of sorrowful, painful, raw emotion. Itâs so hard to believe our star, our hero, our idol has been taken from us in his prime.
âBut Niall Donohue was so so much more than that to us. He was one of us. We were and always will be so so proud of Niall Donohue. We watched him grow knowing his potential, watched him develop for our club, then through the ranks with Galway.
âNever not once doubting his ability, just hoping he had the conviction to deliver on it, and deliver he did. He delivered the All Ireland U21 trophy to us and brought it back to the parish after he manned the problem full back position.
He followed this up with the Bob OâKeeffe cup the following year when they beat Kilkenny in the Leinster final and went on to score the point of the match in the All Ireland Final.
âBut Niall was more, to his club Kilbeacanty, us, he was our shining light. The best of his generation, the best many of us had ever seen wear the blue and gold. We lost so many to emigration but as long as we had Niall we had a chance.
âYou could see the players around him grow tall. Just by his presence you knew you had a chance, that the opponents would find it hard to break us down if Niall was on form. Just a couple of weeks ago he gave the best individual performance ever seen by many by a Kilbeacanty club man in Kilbeacanty colours in the county quarter final.
Niall Donoghue celebrates Galwayâs 2012 All-Ireland semi-final win
Pic: INPHO/Colm OâNeill
âBut Niall was more than that, he never turned us down when we wanted to do club or school functions. You could have offered our young players any player in the country Joe, Henry, Tommy, anyone. They only ever wanted Niall. They adored him and idolised him. He was one of ours.
âBut Niall was more. How will Niall be remembered? Yes, he had unbelievable talent as a hurler. Yes, he was an unbelievable athlete. But Niall will be remembered as the shy unassuming lad, he who was happier talking to old lads in McCarthyâs or young kids at the pitch or being with his large circle of friends than being in the spotlight.
âNiall was a friend to so many, a man of few words but even people that did not know him liked him. You can feel the genuine sadness felt by people in all the comments made everywhere last night and today.
[INDENT]But Niall was more. Niallâs face was what drew you in. That warm smile is etched in my mind like in so many others minds this morning and there it will stay forever.
âIt feels like our hearts have been ripped out, but this cannot compare to the pain and suffering of Francie, Shane and Orla and all his other family members and all our thoughts and prayers are with you now.
âThere is a dark cloud over Kilbeacanty now and it will be there for a long time.
âThe bed of Heaven to you Niall, youâre in your Mother arms now.â
From Kilbeacanty fb page. He literally was the pride of the parish.[/INDENT]
Its gonna be a strange atmosphere in Salthill on Monday
Certainly changes the tone of the whole thing alright.
[quote=âLazarus, post: 851600, member: 286â][SIZE=6]âItâs so hard to believe our star, our hero, our idol has been taken from usâ[/SIZE]
[SIZE=5]A beautiful tribute has been made by the people of Kilbeacanty to Galway hurler Niall Donoghue sadly passed away last night.[/SIZE]
Niall Donoghue.
âAs we wake this morning we hoped that it was just a bad dream, a nightmare, that it isnât true, it couldnât be true. There is a cloud over Kilbeacanty, the sun came up but it did not take away the darkness.
âYou can feel the sorrow, nearly see it. Itâs totally calm even the dogs arenât barking. Itâs as if they know. Itâs like Kilbeacanty , Galway, the whole of Ireland, Australia and beyond is covered in a blanked of sorrowful, painful, raw emotion. Itâs so hard to believe our star, our hero, our idol has been taken from us in his prime.
âBut Niall Donohue was so so much more than that to us. He was one of us. We were and always will be so so proud of Niall Donohue. We watched him grow knowing his potential, watched him develop for our club, then through the ranks with Galway.
âNever not once doubting his ability, just hoping he had the conviction to deliver on it, and deliver he did. He delivered the All Ireland U21 trophy to us and brought it back to the parish after he manned the problem full back position.
He followed this up with the Bob OâKeeffe cup the following year when they beat Kilkenny in the Leinster final and went on to score the point of the match in the All Ireland Final.
âBut Niall was more, to his club Kilbeacanty, us, he was our shining light. The best of his generation, the best many of us had ever seen wear the blue and gold. We lost so many to emigration but as long as we had Niall we had a chance.
âYou could see the players around him grow tall. Just by his presence you knew you had a chance, that the opponents would find it hard to break us down if Niall was on form. Just a couple of weeks ago he gave the best individual performance ever seen by many by a Kilbeacanty club man in Kilbeacanty colours in the county quarter final.
Niall Donoghue celebrates Galwayâs 2012 All-Ireland semi-final win
Pic: INPHO/Colm OâNeill
âBut Niall was more than that, he never turned us down when we wanted to do club or school functions. You could have offered our young players any player in the country Joe, Henry, Tommy, anyone. They only ever wanted Niall. They adored him and idolised him. He was one of ours.
âBut Niall was more. How will Niall be remembered? Yes, he had unbelievable talent as a hurler. Yes, he was an unbelievable athlete. But Niall will be remembered as the shy unassuming lad, he who was happier talking to old lads in McCarthyâs or young kids at the pitch or being with his large circle of friends than being in the spotlight.
âNiall was a friend to so many, a man of few words but even people that did not know him liked him. You can feel the genuine sadness felt by people in all the comments made everywhere last night and today.
[INDENT]But Niall was more. Niallâs face was what drew you in. That warm smile is etched in my mind like in so many others minds this morning and there it will stay forever.
âIt feels like our hearts have been ripped out, but this cannot compare to the pain and suffering of Francie, Shane and Orla and all his other family members and all our thoughts and prayers are with you now.
âThere is a dark cloud over Kilbeacanty now and it will be there for a long time.
âThe bed of Heaven to you Niall, youâre in your Mother arms now.â
From Kilbeacanty fb page. He literally was the pride of the parish.[/INDENT][/quote]
I read that yesterday and nearly choked from the tears. The heart and soul have been ripped out of that small place.
That poor young man, what anguish he must have felt and now only the heavens know how his family and friends feel.
I truly hope he his sleeping peacefully now
This is a very tragic case and has an emotive effect. One of my work colleagues is from Galway and said that he was meant to be a terribly nice fellow. Apparently his struggles with depression was widely known down in Galway.
RIP
[quote=âRudi, post: 851610, member: 1052â]This is a very tragic case and has an emotive effect. One of my work colleagues is from Galway and said that he was meant to be a terribly nice fellow. Apparently his struggles with depression was widely known down in Galway.
RIP[/quote]
I respect that but would disagree with your work colleague Rudi. There were murmers alright throughout the year as to why he wasnât starting but similar murmers are heard every year about countless players. It is also true that youâll hear stories about certain players but again this is noting unusual, that goes for every county in the country too Iâd say, not just Galway. Iâd know one or two involved and this was as much a shock to them as to anyone. Every thing is âwidely knownâ after the event.
I feel sorry for the players going out on Monday. No one seems to know why itâs being played when emotions are still so raw. I heard the County board consulted Nialls family and they said play it on the Monday but what the fuck were they gonna say? Their lives are total hell at the moment.
It should have been put back at least 2 weeks. Whatâs the winning team supposed to do, celebrate?
No ones in the fucking mood.
Hard to know what the county board were supposed to do. Theyâd be pilloried for postponing it and âglorifying suicideâ or letting it go ahead theyâd be accused of being heartless. There are no right answers at this time.
The darkest of days in Ballyturn as the mourners turn out in their thousands to express their sorrow.
We thought we had many bad days as Galway hurling people but those days have been put in perspective nowâŚ
If heâd died in. say, a car crash, the game should still have been put back further than it has been. Both hurling quarter-finals scheduled for the following Sunday in 2007 were put back six days when James McGarryâs wife died.
Agreed. This game shouldnât be played just now I donât think. Opinion only.
The rain its making tonight will really test the drainage in Pearse
Portumna are the county champions again. Loughrea only got 3-4 points in the second half. Weather conditions werenât great. Best team won according to the reports.
Port by far the best time by far in second half.
Loughrea played with a strong breeze in first half and scored some lovely points. Infact all 6 of their forwards had scored by HT from what I remember. Port stayed in touch with the goals.
Once the second half started Loughrea hit a few bad wides, portumna threw a few points over and then Hayes goaled⌠though it should have been a free out as Niall Hayes fouled Regan in the build up.
Andy Smith was savage.
The atmosphere was subdued of course. It was hard to keep a dry eye during the minutes silence.
Thanks for that kp.
The people of Kilbeacanty gave Niall a great send off. Galway hurling panel were a credit to their county
[quote=âLazarus, post: 851876, member: 286â] Whatâs the winning team supposed to do, celebrate?
[/quote]
Thatâs exactly what they did and who can blame them ?