Richardson, Aidan
January 26, 2011Having been struck down with a brain haemorrhage in 2000, former Sligo minor GAA star, Aidan Richardson, Tourlestrane, lay in a coma in a Manchester Hospital for eleven years until his death last week.
Aidan was captain of the 1968 County Minor team which won the Connacht Championship and were subsequently beaten by Cork in that years All Ireland final by a one point margin. Many of the panel went on to form the nucleus of the 1975 Senior team that won the Connacht Championship after a gap of 47 years.
The Richardson family kindly sponsored a reunion of that famous Minor team in Killoran's Tubbercrry in 2009 on which occasion unlikely wins over the fancied Mayo. Galway and Armagh sides were recounted by team members and their management of Colm Mullarkey and Bros. Sebastian, Tom O'Carroll who was also part of the management team, died later in 1968 and John Kilgannon, another panel member, passed away in recent years.
The sportsmanship of that group of Sligo players was underlined at the 1968 All Ireland final when they carried the Cork captain off the field shoulder high after the final whistle.
An Coiste Chontae Shligigh extend deepest sympathy to the Richardson family as Aidan made his final journey home.
Aidan's remains reposed in Coen's Funeral Home last Saturday before removal to Tourlestrane Church. The Funeral Mass was on Sunday with burial in Rhue Cemetery.
We extend sympathy to the family of Aidan Richardson, who died recently after a long illness. Aidan was one of the greatest Sligo under age/ college footballers of all time. His ability to use his height to win procession was legendary and he used this to good effect playing for Tourlestrane,Benada Abbey and Sligo under age teams.
He was of course the last minor captain to win a Connaught minor title and was desperately unlucky to miss out on winning an All-Ireland minor title in September 1968 following a brilliant come back in the second half. Notwithstanding the bitter disappointment of missing our on that exclusive All-Ireland medal Aidan and Gerry Hegarty carried out off the Cork minor captain - a gesture probably never witnessed before or since on All-Ireland day in Croke Park.
Aidan was not just a great footballer he was a great athlete particularly as a high jumper and one wonders whether, with more practice in that area and proper coaching.If he would not achieve greater success in that field. I was privileged to have been in school with him, albeit a few years younger than him, and he was the man to look up to in every sense.
He is now laid to rest in Rhue Cemetery a few hundred yards a few hundred yards from his home and joins his father, Shane who died only a few months ago and who was broken hearted by Aidan's lengthy illness. He also joins his neighbour Martin Brennan, who died suddenly before Christmas. Aidan and Martin's brother Mattie were two top class under age players for Tourlestrane in the 60s. We remember the tough time Tourlestrane has suffered as a club in the last few months after the sudden deaths of Darren Gaughan and Martin Brennan.
Courtesy of the Sligo Champion
26th January 2011 Tweet
