Longford community gathers to honour the memory of their beloved Shane Brennan

The friends of the late Shane Brennan, Newtownforbes came together on Saturday, May 10 to organise a day of events to honour their dear friend.

They planted a tree in his memory on the Newtownforbes Nature Trail, before ‘reeling in the years’ as they competed in an over 40s Schoolboy Blitz with Melview, St Emer’s, St Michael’s and Newtown renewing rivalries one last time in Abbeycartron.

Shane’s anniversary mass was celebrated in Newtownforbes church followed by an evening in the Castle Inn to reminisce and share memories of their great friend.

Here, Shane and his family reflect on a wonderful day in his memory.

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“Following the lovely tree planting ceremony in Newtown, he arrived to his favourite football ground – Abbeycarton.

“He reminisced about all the crackers he scored over the years and the titanic battles against his close friends. He moved slowly and took his seat on his plaque as he surveyed over the beautiful surface of the pitch dedicated to his memory.

“Tom, Ray & Sean were early and were all business putting the final touches to the arena before the gladiators arrived. The sun was beating down so he was happy he brought a hat to cover the head.

“He couldn’t get over the crowd that was arriving, even though it was more difficult to recognise some of them than others. As the squads began to assemble, he could see that St Michael’s looked as menacing as ever and Newtown had fantastic firepower. His arch rivals, St Emer’s were depleted in numbers but had some of the famous Teffia Harps crew that were always dangerous. Finally, his beloved Melview gang arrived, determined to uphold his legacy, led by his brother Stephen.

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“Abbeycarton was a hive of activity with Leo Devlin arriving with Longford Town footballs to ensure the highest quality for these competitors. Ken Keenan and his crew were setting up to catch all the action as the famous Benny O’Brien was engaging with the crowd and interviewing his Mam & Dad, who were so proud of everyone involved.

“He pulled his hat a little as the referees arrived. Fergus Darcy & the famous Paddy ‘Red Card’ Nolan were on duty and he had many a run in with both. They looked in better shape than some of the competitors!

“As kick off approached, the crowd gathered around him, and he was giddy with excitement as St Emer’s were drawn against Melview. The old rivalry reignited! The other semi-final of St Michael’s and Newtown would be a more bruising affair.

“He couldn’t get over the quality of the football even though at a slower pace! Both semi-finals were very tight with great tackling and goal mouth action. Newtown’s firepower proved the difference in their victory over St Michael’s while St Emer’s squeezed past Melview who battled to the end.

“He was amazed at the crowd who turned up as he nodded to them as they arrived. All the old faces that were such a big part of his childhood to come together to remember him today, this filled his heart. He was even more impressed to see the next generation that were even invading the pitch at different stages, Longford football is still thriving.

“Following St Michael’s victory in the third and fourth place play off, the juggernaut from Newtown full of GAA legends faced off against the wily St Emer’s gang. This proved to be another absorbing clash with injuries, penalty shout’s, yellow cards and back to the wall defending with St Emer’s emerging victorious in the end.

“As Paddy blew the final whistle, the applause from all attending brought a tear to his eye. He floated through the crowd during the presentation ceremony and in the clubhouse as everyone enjoyed the beautiful refreshments put on by his Mam and Dad.

“As he turned the corner out of Abbeycarton to head for the Castle Inn, he was very thankful to all who contributed to set up such a wonderful day in his memory and considered himself lucky to have so many amazing people that were a part of his life.”