Brian Óg - Give Blood

[Puckoon]

Right lump in the throat after reading that. Bless him and those left behind.

[RedandGreenSniper]

My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. Such a sad loss.
Very hard thing to articulate, the sense of loss, but Brolly paid a fitting tribute there.
Kudos to the club too, renaming the club in the young lad's memory.

[Jinxy]

God I know it's a cliché, but reading a story like that makes you realise you haven't much to be worrying about.
Sounds like he was an outstanding young man and I think it's a lovely touch from the club to change their name.
Hopefully all the support and goodwill is some small comfort to Brian Ógs family.

[BennyHarp]

This is a terrible tragedy! Sounds like he was a not only a great footballer but a genuinely nice lad too - his story is as inspirational as it is sad! Rest in peace Brian Og!

[Bitta-Banter]

Is there a sevens tournament organised as part of a tribute too?

[the Deel Rover]

Lovely artice written by Joe Brolly there would bring a tear to a stone. From reading his article it seems that Brian was some battler and lived his short life to the full . May he rest in Peace

[bailestil]

Is there a sevens tournament organised as part of a tribute too?

There is a 7's competition on this weekend.
The Action Cancer Brian Óg perpetual trophy and the following teams will be there:
Steelstown
derry over 40s
antrim over 40s
all star select
eskra (tyrone)
Burt (donegal)
Darragh Cross (down)
Cloann na Gael (tyrone)
Sean Dolans
Pearses
Faughanvale
Magee University

[wherefromreferee?]

A wonderful article by Brolly.  Rest in Peace Brian Og.
My thoughts and prayers are with the family.

[dodo]

Deepest sympathies to Brian Óg's family and friends.

A very moving tribute from Brolly, fair play to Mickey Harte and Brian Dooher for their actions.

[carnaross]

I've only just come across this thread. Such a sad loss. I can only hope his family can take pride in his legacy as they remember him. Also, a great gesture by his club.

Sad to say - there's some team being built in heaven over the last few years.

[lynchbhoy]

Gave blood a couple of weeks ago, partially because of this tragic story

RIP young Brian

[bailestil]

There will be a blood donation session today and tomorrow in the steelstown brian og's clubhouse, ballyarnet.
Anyone nearby is welcome to come along and donate.

If your not local, please remember to give blood when you can!!

[muppet]

Hadn't seen this thread, very sad story.

The link doesn't work but here is the story:

Published - Fri, Nov 14, 2008

Joe Brolly - A tribute to Brian Og McKeever


Brian Og McKeever was born on the 20th of March 1991 in Derry city. He died last Saturday, after only seventeen years, and it is hard not to feel outrage at such a great injustice. The funeral mass at St Eugene's cathedral and the burial afterwards were accompanied by a tempest of driving rain and bitter winds. The weather suited the occasion, and as I stood with Kevin Casey at the graveside I thought of Auden's words.

" The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;

Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;

Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.

For nothing now can ever come to any good."

The Steelstown senior team formed a line outside the cathedral. Their manager Raymond 'The Greyhound' Tracey, my old Dungiven team mate, asked me to join them, but it didn't seem right. Wearing their football jerseys, they were soaked to the skin and blue with the cold. Opposite them, Eamonn Burns was with his St Colm's college senior team, looking impossibly young in their tiny ties and shaggy hair. Many of the boys wept when the coffin emerged, and in truth, it was very hard to take.

When Brian was fourteen, he made his debut for the Steelstown minors, and it was clear immediately that this was a special boy. For the first time in their history, they went on to the minor championship final that year, where they lost to Dungiven. The country boys just had too much cuteness for the city novices, but it was apparent that in their 14 year old corner back, the city club had a star in the making.

When he was fifteen he captained the Derry U-16 development squad from centre half back, and led by example. To his delight, in the same year he was chosen for the Ulster elite squad's training camp. The best part was that his hero Tony Scullion was the coach.

In 2007, he was devastated when the county management, in consultation with his club, decided that at fifteen he was too young to play for the minor team, and he watched on in agony as they reached an All-Ireland final. Meanwhile, he trained religiously. His father Brian told me he never missed a session. Even in the low times when there were turn outs of five or six, he drove the boys around him on, and success followed.

All he wanted to do was to play for Steelstown, the Derry minors and then the Derry seniors. After that, he only wanted to win an All-Ireland. This year, as a sixteen year old veteran, he was brought into the minor team, to his unbridled delight. Then, in April, he was diagnosed with leukaemia and the clocks stopped. When I visited him in the children's cancer ward at Belfast City Hospital I was floored. It was a beautiful spring evening and I recall going up to the Antrim training afterwards just for fresh air and to soak up the fun from the lads. I didn't know before what the phrase 'needing a drink' meant.

In August, when all seemed lost, his brother Niall turned out to be a perfect bone marrow donor. The operation seemed to be a resounding success, and suddenly everything had been turned around. In Brian's words, he was 'buzzing'. To everyone's delight, he went to the All-Ireland football final. Two days later, after a routine biopsy, doctors told him his system was shutting down, and he had a few days to live.

Typical of the boy, he refused to be down heartened, and simply got stuck in. On the occasions when he was strong enough to leave hospital for a few days, he togged out and watched the Steelstown training, even kicking the odd ball. He sat his Irish Oral in the hospital, gaining an 'A'. He set his heart on going to the Thornhill formal with his girlfriend Clare. The few days he had left stretched out to six weeks.

During this time, he refused all assistance. Exhausted, he went up the stairs on his backside, one slow painful step at a time. He dressed himself. He socialised. He fought for life. No tame surrender for this boy. Two weeks ago, he made it to his formal, and when he got there, dragged himself onto the dance floor and danced as though there was no tomorrow. His mother Maire told me that the next day he literally couldn't move.

Some weeks ago, the family asked me to ring Mickey Harte to see if he would pray for them. It was the day after Mickey's road accident, and despite the pain of broken ribs, Mickey came to the house the following day and prayed with them, something for which they are deeply grateful. I rang Brian Dooher to see if he would bring the Sam Maguire to the house. "No problem," said Brian. Cuthbert Donnelly and Brian met me a few days later and we went to the house with the two cups, where photographs were taken and stories told. Brian Og sat between them grinning like a Cheshire cat. The class of these Tyrone men cannot be overstated and again, the family are deeply thankful.

Eamonn Burns told me once that Brian was the only footballer he knew who had Tony Scullion's anticipation. What a pity we will not see him in the red and white of Derry. What a pity that the world has been deprived of a boy like that.

The Steelstown club have retired the number five jersey. They have also organised a Blood Drive on the 15th of December at their clubhouse on the Ballyarnett Road. The city of Derry rugby team, Derry City FC and the Derry senior football squad will be there to give blood, and the family are very keen that as many people as possible contribute. Brian Og benefitted from repeated blood transfusions, which in turn gave him vital months and weeks of life. His mother Maire, father Brian, and brothers Colm and Niall are heartbroken, but they can be rightly proud of his full and unblemished life.

"And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,

Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;

There midnight's all a-glimmer, and noon a purple glow,

And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day

I hear the water lapping with low sounds by the shore;

While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements gray,

I hear it in the deep heart's core."