There were touching scenes ahead of Clare’s clash with Dublin as both camps paid tribute to Ronan Kilroy following a difficult week for the player and his family.
Kilroy did not tog out for the game after the passing of his mother, Maeve, earlier in the week, with her funeral taking place on Friday.
Classy Tributes Paid To Clare Hurler Following Family Bereavement
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Speaking before the game on TG4, Clare selector Brendan Bugler took a moment to acknowledge Kilroy’s absence and send condolences on behalf of the group. Kilroy plays his club hurling for The Banner GAA club on the outskirts of Ennis.
We have another player, Ronan Kilroy, who isn’t togging today.
His mam would have passed away during the week.
So, Ronan’s a big player for us. He’s a fantastic fella, and I just want to take the opportunity to again send our condolences from our group to the Kilroy family.
The sentiment was echoed from the Dublin side, with their manager Niall Ó Ceallacháin also paying tribute ahead of the game when speaking to TG4.
It is a big day today for Dublin and Clare, but there’s larger things in life.
It’s been a really hard week for Ronan Kilroy and his family.
We’re very aware his mother was buried on Friday there. It’s a really hard week for Ronan and the wider Clare family, and we wish them all the best.
Clare captain and full-back Conor Cleary also paid tribute to the Kilroy family and to Ronan who was in attendance at the Gaelic Grounds for the league final.
While the match itself carried significance for both teams, the words from both camps served as a reminder of what matters most.
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