Philly McMahon is mourning the death of his father after a year-long battle with cancer.

Phil McMahon passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends yesterday morning. The Belfast native, who was in his early sixties, was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer during Dublin's championship campaign last year, something which drove his son on to win his fifth All-Ireland medal.

Philly revealed after the All-Ireland final win over Mayo how his father's attendance at the game inspired him.

"I couldn't face losing this All-Ireland final with my Da in the crowd. No way. So really, what that makes it is, it's the best gift I've ever got off the rest of the players," the Ballymun Kickhams clubman said.

"The management team, the staff, the kitmen, everyone. You can't win an All-Ireland on your own. To be able to go to me Da and say, 'Here, that's for you.' I'll never forget that. All the lads knew. They were a huge help over the last couple of months. Fellas like Eoghan O'Gara went visiting him and stuff like that.

"So like, just to be shown that these lads really care about you as a team-mate and as a friend meant a lot. It was huge."

His father's passing comes after his brother John, a heroin addict, died six years ago, something Philly has spoken openly about in the past.

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