The late Brendan Donaghy The huge numbers who accompanied Brendan (Googles) on his final journey from his home and who attended his Requiem Mass and Internment were proof of the great esteem in which he was held by the club and wider community. As a stalwart of our Club social committee he tirelessly sold many, tickets over the years for club functions and charity fundraisers and worked hard to ensure their success and put the same energy in to Lotto sales. As our club president, Mixie Toal, stated after the funeral "he was one of the best known personalities around the club, one of the first people you missed if he were not there. I know he will not be remembered for his feats on the field of play. He never sought the limelight, never sat on any committees so he will not be remembered for being a high profile officer within the club. He will, however, be remembered for passion, loyalty and pride and work in Silverbridge Harps Gaelic football club, his love of football especially underage football, Scor and all things Gaelic. The one department where Brendan stood head and shoulders above everyone else was his fund raising activities. When it came to selling tickets, be it Lotto tickets, dinner dance tickets, draw tickets or tickets for the other great love of his life, Newry Hospice he was in a league of his own, a true champion. Every Monday evening for ten and a half years he walked the roads of his native Tullydonnell through Carrive and Cargan to Silverbridge, the same route as we followed his funeral. Brendan called at every house on his way to collect the Lotto and he never left empty handed. He sold the Lotto tickets in houses, pubs, shops and football matches; anywhere there were people he sold them. But why did he do all this? Not for praise for he was not that kind of man. He could have sat in the comfort of his own home on dark, wet winter nights. He knew he had no sons or daughters and there would never be grandchildren to enjoy the fruits of his labour. He did it because he believed in his club and community. He knew the money raised would be spent on providing facilities for the youth of the area and no individual single-handedly raised as much money as Brendan towards this project. It is our sons, daughters and grandchildren who will reap the benefits. That is Brendan's legacy to the Silverbridge club and community of which he was so proud to be a member and to which he dedicated his life. Courtesy of The Examiner 7 February 2006 Tweet

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