The Late Derrick Galway The Irish community of Sydney bade a fond farewell to one of the legends of the hurling scene in New South Wales recently as they gathered to see off Kilkenny native Derrick Galway, who passed away at the age of 82. A native of Bennettsbridge, he won ten county medals alongside his three brothers with the Bennettsbridge club and was also a key part in many NSW State hurling teams after he arrived in Australia. Some of his former playing colleagues were there to say their farewells, but they made up some of the large crowd which gathered at Our Lady of the Rosary church in Fairfield for his funeral. Derrick left Ireland while in his late 30s and spent a couple of years with his brother in New Zealand before eventually moving on to Australia around 1960. Fellow Kilkenny native Mick O'Neill, from just down the road in the famous hurling village of Callan, was Galway's best friend in Australia, and he told the Irish in Australia about some of his fond memories of his dearly departed friend. I'd known Derrick around 40 years and we had some great times together. We used to live together in a flat back in the early days before he met his wife Babs, and we spent time in Queensland and in the Northern Territory together,í Mr O'Neill said. WE used to hurl down in Moore Park before there were club teams like there are now, days when we'd get 25 or 30 lads down there and we'd just pick teams. He was a very tough player O'Neill remembers. He was pushing 40 I suppose when he got to Australia but he still hurled for many years after that. As he used to joke himself I was retired when I got her,í but he hurled on for as long as he physically could.í A farmer's son, Derrick's toughness in the backline was renowned, as was his quality. So how many State teams would he have hurled on then, we ask Mick. All of them!í he replies. His wife Babs came into his life late on and the pair were married in 1971 after meeting back in 1970. They went on to have a son, Brendan, and Derrick also joyfully got to see his grandson, Callum, born tow years before he died. That was such a great thing, I was so happy Derrick got to see his grandson before he died,í Derrick's wife Babs says gladly. He was so sick after an aneurysm operation about five years ago and he nearly died then. I was so upset that he might never get to see his grandchild, but thankfully he got to see him.í Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis Courtesy of the Kilkenny People July 4th Tweet

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