Gillespie, Sean
April 01, 2010
The Late Séan Gillespie
With a heavy heart, I travelled with a lifelong friend Tommy McCusker from my home in Strabane to Mitchelstown, Co. Cork for the burial of out lifelong friend, Séan Gillespie. It was one of the saddest journeys of my life even though it brought back great memories of an incomparable friendship, which started as schoolboy pals and developed into a rock-hard alliance on the football pitch and matured into an enduring bond. the like of which only blood brothers can achieve. We split our blood on the football fields in Tyrone.
Fr David Rea, Séan's brother-in-law in Mitchelstown said of Séan at his funeral Mass that he 'was a true Tyrone Gael' and never was more accurate words uttered, even though Seán had married and raised a family in Cork.
I was lucky enough to share any young Gael's dream of playing for Tyrone with Seán. I will never forget Seán captaining the Fintona minor team in the county final of 1960 against Ardboe, which went to a second replay; Seán gave his all in those games.
I had played for Tyrone seniors a few times before Seán got the call to arms against Antrim in 1963 but by them I was working in England due to the dire economic circumstances at home. I worked in Birmingham but my heart never left the land of The Quiggery and Ballynahatty Water. I never was happy in England having left such a strong family and friendship bond behind.
When I returned home, we did play together again for Fintona, reaching the West Tyrone league final against Aghyarn in 1965 and it was his unerring enthusiasm and love of competition that consoled us when we unfortunately lost that game. I believe that was my last game for Fintona.
When Fintona Pearse opened the brand new St Lawrence's Park in September 1965, it featured two games and our families intertwined on this great occasion in a very novel fashion.
In the opening juvenile final between Omagh and Trillick, Seán in his role of forever giving of himself, took charge with the whistle, and then continued on to play for Tyrone against Donegal in the senior game, with my late brother Jackie refereeing that one.
It was typical of the man that he would put the show on the road' for the Pearses. Indeed it was typical of both men. If Fintona Pearses had a Hall of Fame, Seán Gillespie would surely be represented.
He was a gentle man and also a hard man and he knew instinctively when to adopt which role. He was the most considerate being that I never met and he represented what was best in life and could have lectured worldwide on friendship, devotion and loyalty. He was far too humble a man for any of that of course and that is just a tiny reason why his passing on 4th March was such a loss.
His widow, Eleanor, his three daughters, Michelle, Orla and Esther will miss him most, of course, but my heart is a lot heavier since I heard the dreadful news earlier this month.
'Death is not the extinguishing of the light;
Rather a dousing of the candle, Because a new day has dawned'
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dilis.
Kevin Martin
Courtesy of The Avondhu
1st April 2010
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