Toomevara and the wider GAA community stunned by death of Kieran Delaney

The parish of Toomevara and the wider GAA family in Tipperary were numb with grief following the death of Kieran Delaney last week.

A popular GAA referee, Delaney was killed following a tragic accident on the R499 between Toomevara and Ballinamona Cross late on Tuesday 7th December last.

As news spread the following day, tributes flowed for the popular GAA official, affectionately known as ‘Festy’, who refereed a North Under 21 ‘A’ Hurling semi-final between Roscrea and Borris-Ileigh the previous Sunday in his home pitch in Toomevara and was due to referee the second semi-final last Sunday, which was postponed, as were all North Board and County Board fixtures, as a mark of respect.

“His loss will be felt by the club for some time and the word irreplaceable comes to mind,” said Toomevara GAA club secretary Patsy Hanley.

“Kieran was a committed clubman and a member of the committee for many years. He also was the senior referee in the North Division, part of our management team at under 21 and an active member of the grounds’ committee.

“Kieran was noted as a character, a great clubman, a referee who let the game flow, a committed family man but I think the greatest tribute was that Kieran was someone who gave his all to all his interests and called it as it was and if disagreeing he did so with honesty but never held a grudge because he too realised that in a great club all opinions are important to be listened to and respected.”

Messages of sympathy flowed from right around the county, from GAA officials, clubs, and fellow referees, including Philip Kelly from Ballinahinch, who started on the same refereeing course as Kieran Delaney in the winter of 2008.

“There is always a close bond with whom you start with,” he wrote in a Facebook tribute.

“The last thirteen years, we have talked, had the crack, officiated, travelled the length and breadth of county and country. He was one of a kind. He helped everyone. He will be remembered forever by all of us. Witty, straight talking, lovable character. Totally unfair that he was taken from us prematurely.

“One of his many quotes will stay with me forever " a lie is a lie, and a fact is a fact ".

A minute’s silence was held in Kieran’s memory at the annual Convention of Tipperary County Board in Thurles on Monday night, where chairman of the North Board Michael Tierney expressed what a huge loss, he will be to the GAA in the division where he was chairman of the North Referees Committee at the time of his passing.

“Kieran was part and parcel of the whole North set-up for years now, as a hurler in his day, a mentor with Toomevara and more recently a super and very capable referee,” Tierney said of Festy who refereed two North senior hurling finals, the 2014 replay between Nenagh Eire Og and Burgess and the 2019 decider between Kiladangan and Borris-Ileigh.

“He was a lovely fella; at the drop of a hat he would referee any fixture for us. He always warned us, never to be stuck and that was the way he was.

“He was a great friend to everybody in the North. Players loved him, they admired him and worked very well with him, and he was very good as a referee to explain himself and explain what he was doing to players.

“He is a huge role model gone for any young referees coming through. He is a huge loss to us as a North Board, to his parish and his club, and most importantly to all his family.”

Kieran’s popularity within the GAA was shown at his removal last Saturday at his home in Grennanstown with a huge crowd arriving to sympathise with the Delaney family, while the Toomevara club were there en masse to provide every support possible.

The tributes continued on Sunday morning with a magnificent guard of honour outside St. Michael’s Park GAA grounds and all the way up to the square from Toomevara GAA Club and Toomevara Gun Club, of which he had a great passion also. Members of both clubs carried his coffin to and from Toomevara church to his resting place at the Square Graveyard, and no sadder journey will they face for many a year, added Patsy Hanley.

“As in the past Toomevara GAA will recover but this is a sharp wound but working and supporting each other we can carry on as Kieran would have hoped to bring success and fun to our players and supporters,” he said.

The club also wish to acknowledge their support to its fellow member who was involved in the tragic incident.

Kieran Delaney is survived by his partner Liz and their children Cathal & Lily, his mother Mary, brothers Paul & Colm and his sister Jackie, and while circle of family and friends. Ar dheis de go raibh a anam dilis.