Áine Ní Shionnaigh with Chris O'Dowd
By Áine Ní Shionnaigh
Living in the midst of a city that never sleeps, sirens that never silence, lights that never dim, my mind often drifts back to my home county of Roscommon: a curious yet beautiful mix of bog land, lake land, rich pasture, the river Shannon, its tributaries and countless historical sites enshrouded in mythology. Much of Roscommon’s beauty remains as its people: under-the-radar, undiscovered and understated. The motto of County Roscommon reads ‘Constans Hiberniae Cor’, translating to ‘Steadfast Irish Heart’. I like to translate it as ‘Steadfast Humble Irish Heart’.
I was witness, with eye and heart, to this very humility on Thursday last when I attended the Club Rossie ‘Launch of the Dermot Earley Centre’ in the Irish American Historical Society on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. Amongst the elegant and quiet grandeur of the beautifully restored townhouse with its wonderful sense of the past, a process began which will now secure the sporting future of Gaelic games in Roscommon for generations to come. The Dermot Earley Centre – named after the late Roscommon football legend and Irish army lieutenant general - will be centrally located in Runnabracken, 10 miles from Roscommon town. Its core function will be to provide Gaelic games training and development facilities for all the county residents. It will also be a resource for the wider Roscommon community, offering walking/running paths and facilities for community events.
Throughout the course of the evening, I spoke with the major personal donors, the American Friends of Roscommon GAA and Club Rossie, their Irish based counterparts. Not one of them mentioned their involvement, dedication and financial contributions towards the Dermot Earley Centre. Sean Mulryan and Tom Hunt who have already been beyond generous to Roscommon GAA are major funders of The Dermot Early Centre. The American Friends of Roscommon GAA include: Irial Finan, Adrian Jones, Padraig McBrien, Shane Naughton, John Neary, Jerry Padian and Gerard Shivnan. The organizing committee of Club Rossie includes: David O’Connor, Thomas Carthy, David Leydon and Martin Conry.
It is humility and lack of egos that has propelled the plan forward. In a remarkably short time, decisions have been made, action has been taken, and targets have been achieved. Thanks to the shared integrity and commitment of all involved including all the attendees on Thursday night and all the fans especially those who travelled from all corners of the world to support Roscommon at Gaelic Park, record breaking goals have been accomplished.
Going to press, a source estimated that the reception had raised approximately $350,000 for the Centre. This is obviously a massive success, however at least another $250,000 will hopefully be raised in order to produce and maintain a superb facility. To make the fundraising more cost effective, Club Rossie and American Friends of Roscommon GAA have teamed with the American Ireland Fund which ensures that US donors can contribute on a tax-deductible basis. A significant amount of what has been raised will be contributed by donors over the following 3 years. For more information on donating, please check out www.irlfunds.org or www.clubrossie.ie.
Club Rossie is a subcommittee of the County Board, the commercial and fundraising arm of Roscommon GAA. Despite the fact that Club Rossie is less than two years old, it is already proving itself to be an extremely effective and savy set up. It is a brilliant example of a group working together to advance rather than obstruct progress.
Throughout the evening I spoke to Padraig McBrien’s dad, Kevin and Padraig’s sisters, Fiona and Sinead who were over from Roscommon town to support the event. They never mentioned Padraig’s extreme dedication to the project. Chatting to families such as the McBriens made me realize just how much the GAA lies at the center and heart of Irish family and community and how it acts as a powerful force to keep families connected and close.
The special guest on the night, Hollywood and Broadway actor and former Roscommon footballer was the Boyle born actor, Chris O’Dowd, who found time in his busy schedule to support his fellow county men and spent all night at the event chatting to everyone.
I was honored to speak with Dermot Earley’s wife Mary, his brother Paul and his son Dermot. Again none of them mentioned their personal connection to Dermot. Dermot Early was a man with vision. He realized that the GAA was so much more than just Gaelic games, it needed to help communities on issues such as rural isolation, alcohol abuse and suicide prevention. Dermot Earley was a sportsman but more importantly a family man and a community man. When someone is taken from us way too soon, as Dermot sadly was due to illness, the biggest regret is all the great things that could have been done that there wasn’t time for. Now thankfully to the generosity of great people and the work of great organizations, Dermot’s community and sporting aims for his beloved County will be carried through. This is the best tribute to a man: his vision will live on.
Leaving behind the glow of the chandeliers and walking home in the relative darkness of 5th avenue on Thursday night, I pondered as I always do. I thought of those unpredictable rain showers in County Roscommon where the sky clouds over and everything becomes grey, and then in an instant there appears a dazzling spectrum of colors when the sun breaks through. The sun will stay shining now thanks to Dermot Earley. His legacy will live on through the Dermot Earley Centre, bringing hope and optimism to everyone in County Roscommon and helping achieve new dreams for many, many generations to come.
Ar dheis De go mbeidh a anam dilis.
