Spirit of Paul McGirr

[rolloutking]

the armagh keeper was willy mc sorley? anyone verify this?

[Uladh]

It was indeed

[Fuzzman]

I was at the Dogs last night in Shelbourne Park Dublin which was another event organised by Joan McGirr for her brother Paul

I've recently joined the Tyrone Association Dublin (www.tad.ie) and learned that the Spirit of Paul McGirr charity is actually now responsible for collecting money for charity for projects in Lusaka in Zambia.

http://thespiritofpaulmcgirr.com/

Like many other such projects young volunteers go out to Zambia to help with projects such as building houses, schools, teaching kids
The money raised goes DIRECTLY to the projects themselves and so people must make their own way out to Zambia and back.

The now famous ethos is simply..
"If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, but teach him to fish and you feed him for life."

Should anyone fancy joining up as a volunteer have a look at the website or you can give donations to Joan.

Also if anyone based in Dublin is interested in joining the Tyrone Association you would be very welcome as I'm a new recruit myself.

They are trying to bring in new, younger blood to this organisation which was set up 30 years ago to help Tyrone people settle and find jobs and homes in Dublin

They now organise several functions a year and have a formal dinner dance in Clontarf Castle in November.

I was thinking maybe if there are enough interest maybe we could organise transport to Tyrone matchs this summer or even meet in a certain pub together to watch matches.
I think at the moment a group of lads just drive up themselves.

Membership is Free and the event last night at the dogs was a great night out.

[Hound]

Hard to believe it's 10 years ago, credit to Tyrone GAA in general the way the memory of this young man has never been forgotten, and will always be celebrated

Well said

[Zapatista]

Nearly 11 years now. This Spirit of Paul McGirr has to be one of the greatest success stories of the last year.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

I was thinking maybe if there are enough interest maybe we could organise transport to Tyrone matchs this summer or even meet in a certain pub together to watch matches.

Great idea Fuzzman, count me in for that one, and as a special treat for the Kerry posters hereon, we'll dish out a few complimentaries for them (and maybe Armagh, and Derry too), and them only, so that they can verily and truly be surrounded by their favourite species on the planet, and in great flowing and billowing multitudes thereof! 

Eleven years indeed since that awful day, wasn't standing too far away from it myself, and really felt for the young Armagh keeper -- he picked the once in a billion where a 50-50 challenge for the ball could possibly and totally improbably end in a fatality. Any word from the Armagh folk on what he's up to these days, Willie Mc Sorley?

[orangeman]

It's unbelievable how the day ended so tragically - as you say a normal 50 - 50 ball and this happens. Still hard to think that it actually happened.

[Yes I Would]

Remember the day and the incident well. An inoccuous collision with unfortunately such a tragic outcome. Really does put football and sport into perspective.
Attended the funeral over in Dromore. Very solemn place to be that day.

Great to see that Pauls memory is still so strong after all this time!
R.I.P

[Aaron Boone]

That must have been some Tyrone minor team in 98.
Offhand and with respect to the thread, the word is there is good Tyrone 2008 minor team too.

[Puckoon]

I believe it was fathers day. I was working in the hospital shop in Omagh County. Would have been a year behind paul and those boys, but remembered him from underage games against Dromore.

Had just closed the shop for the afternoon and remember walking out through the doors of the county as he was being wheeled in on the gurney. Just remember the red shorts and socks, didnt recognise the face or stop to look.

We were talking the old man out to grants resturaunt for an early dinner - and were there when the Tyrone seniors came in for their post match meal. All of a sudden a kind of announcement was made to the players and the place got deathly quiet - no one seemed in the mood for food or talk after that. News filtered around the rest of the tables in the resturaunt after that. Sad sad day for Dromore, Glencull and Tyrone.

Cnt believe its 11 years.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

A strange and awful day for so many reasons: young Paul, and that's enough to fill any album of sad, but treasured, memories.

Also, probably the only time I've walked out of Healy Park  after a Championship game thinking "we should have been well and truly trounced there... but came out with a win... however we managed it, it happened! But we'll take it!"

Jarlath Burns was imperious in midfield and absolutely majestic that day in the Senior - how he must have cursed his teammates...useless, feckless, fruitless, scoreless, though the Tyrone lads were no great shakes either! Had he been a couple of years in later in the womb he'd have been lifting SAM, as it happened, but he left Healy a deflated, though defiant and valiant, captain of a brave but ultimately unsuccessful team. If ever we deserved to lose a game through the efforts of one individual, that was it, and boy did we deserve to lose that one. Such is (the Orchard) life!

That was one of the best of the two midfield displays I've seen in person -- the other was Dara O'Sé's against Tír Eoghain in Killarney in 2003, although Kerry lost that game (too), and only just (too), but he was just magnificent; I don't think he missed a catch throughout the whole game, but we picked up the breaking ball, and worked it up successfully* and scored (where Kerry weren't) to come away with both points!

* Sorry, sounds like a journlalist's spiel, crap! We moved the ball better, and converted better! That covers it I think!