Described by those who knew him as a "lovely child", with a real love for football, Ardboe teenager Patrick Devlin became the second youngster in Tyrone to die on a GAA pitch within a matter of days. Despite the best efforts of club officials and paramedics, and the use of a defribillator, at the grounds of O'Donovan Rossa's GFC on Saturday afternoon, Patrick was later pronounced dead at Craigavon Area Hospital. In a cruel tragic twist, Patrick collapsed at the field in Ardboe around the time that 10 year old Patrick Breen from Dregish was being laid to rest in Drumquin. Patrick Breen also collapsed during a training session and could not be revived despite the use of a defibrillator. The coroner's office later confirmed that the youngster had died from a heart condition. Patrick Devlin, son of Paula and Francis and brother of Seans, funeral took place from his home at Abbeyvale, to the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, Mullinahoe, with interment afterwards at Old Cross Cemetery. A youth playing member of Ardboe O'Donovan Rossa's GFC, Patrick Devlin attended Holy Trinity College in Cookstown. Local parish priest, Fr Seamus McGinley, said Patrick's family was trying to cope "in the best way they can" after losing their young son in such tragic circumstances. Fr McGinley said: "The community is tying to express its support. There is a numb feeling in the community. He (Patrick) had a great love for life. He wanted to do everything and make every possible effort in it." Kieran Devlin, O'Donovan Rossa's GFC secretary and a family friend, said: "Patrick was a lovely child. Football was his main thing and his dad francie would have come and watched him at the pitch. He was a great character. He was popular with all the fellows. If everyone put their heart and soul into it as much as Patrick did we;d win everything." The deaths of Patrick Devlin and Patrick Breen - an those of two teenagers in Westmeath - have prompted calls for the introduction of mandatory heart screening for children. Brendan McAnallen, father of Tyrone All-Ireland winning Cormac, who died in 2004, said he believed health checks should be compulsory. "I believe that every young person should be screened because every person plays sports, no only athletes but indeed children", said Mr McAnallen. "The reality at the end of the day is that no matter what you're doing, if you are under 40 years of age you are at risk but the majority would seem to be active in sport and that seems to be the problem." Deputy First Minister and Mid Ulster MLA, Martin McGuiness, expressed his sympathy to the family of Patrick Devlin, and said he was shocked at the deaths of four young people in similar circumstances. "Given these tragic events it is proper that we look closely at the health and safety of our young children participating in sports to see if there is more that can be done to help sporting organisations monitor the health of your young people an respond quickly if any problems emerge", said Mr McGuinness. Courtesy of the Tyrone Times 11 September, 2007 Tweet

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