Latest news with #StMichael'sCollege
Sunday World
3 days ago
- Sport
- Sunday World
Tributes paid to ‘hugely talented' athlete (22) after tragic cancer battle
Oisín Cassidy, from Derrylin,died peacefully on Monday while surrounded by loved ones Tributes have been paid to a young Co Fermanagh athlete who has been laid to rest after succumbing to a long illness. Oisín Cassidy, from Derrylin, was a successful runner who picked up both local and national accolades leading him to represent Northern Ireland on the international stage. The 22-year-old died peacefully on Monday while surrounded by loved ones following a battle with cancer and is survived by mum, Veronica, uncles, Gerald and Cleo, and grandfather Emmett. A funeral notice carried a tribute from his 'heartbroken' family. "Deeply regretted by his sorrowing mother, aunt, uncle, grandad, cousins and extended family circle,' it said. Oisín's running coach Francis Shaw has reflected on the 'courage and determination' the young man showed despite the devastating diagnosis. 'Oisin will be remembered by the many people who had the good fortune to teach, coach or train and compete alongside him, as not only a hugely talented and committed student athlete, but also as a gentle, caring, compassionate and thoughtful young man who improved the lives of all of us,' he said. Oisín kickstarted his athletics career at St Ninidh's Primary before continuing the sport at St Michael's College and was a member of Enniskillen Running Club and CNDR Track Club in Belfast. A charity event 'Around the Rock for Oisin' organised by Derrylin Rock Runners raised over £45k for several causes of his choice including a new cancer support centre in Enniskillen. In a tribute online, the club said: 'Throughout his illness, Oisín showed remarkable strength, dignity, and kindness. Even during his toughest days he thought of others allowing us to host the 5/10K Around the Rock event in his honor, raising an incredible amount for his chosen cancer charities. 'But most of all we will remember Oisín as a kind inspirational young man who was highly respected in our community and we extend our deepest sympathy to his Mum Veronica and all of the Cassidy family.' Belfast running club Annadale Striders said: 'Oisin was a winner of the Andrew Campbell Cup while competing for St Michael's, Enniskillen and will be fondly remembered by all who knew him through athletics. Our condolences to his Mum Veronica and the family circle.' Derrylin O'Connells GAA club expressed shock at the 'tragic passing' of one of their former youth team members. Oisín had made a return at senior level for the side but was forced to step away following his diagnosis. 'Our club is in shock and mourning at the tragic passing of Oisin Cassidy. Oisin proudly represented our club at underage levels and was part of our Under 12 Division 1 league winning team in 2015. 'Oisin was a talented and gifted athlete used his athletic prowess to occupy the midfield and wing half back positions in our teams. Oisin would cover every blade of grass when he was on field, with surging runs his trademark. 'Our deepest condolences go out to Oisin's mother Veronica, the whole Cassidy family and Oisin's friends and teammates. 'As a mark of respect all club activities will be postponed until after Oisin is laid to rest.' A Requiem Mass took place in St Ninnidh's Church in Derrylin on Wednesday before Oisin was buried in the adjoining cemetery.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Shock and sadness following tragic death of 'talented and gifted athlete'
Tributes have been paid to an "exceptionally talented runner" and "inspirational young man" from Co Fermanagh who passed away earlier this week after a lengthy battle with cancer. Oisín Cassidy, from Derrylin, was a distinguished runner and athlete who represented Athletics Northern Ireland in international competitions, while he also lead his former school, St Michael's College, to major success on the provincial and national front. The 22-year-old was diagnosed with cancer last year and had been undergoing treatment to fight the disease. In March, Oisin's local running club, Derrylin Rock Runners, held a charity Fun Run which raised over £45,000 (€52,150) to support causes which helped the athlete while he was receiving treatment. Tragically, Oisin's family confirmed that the gifted runner passed away peacefully on Monday after succumbing to his illness. He is survived by his mother Veronica, uncle Gerald, aunt Cleo (Baxter) and his grandfather Emmett. He is predeceased by his grandmother Vera. Hundreds of people took part in a fun run in March to raise money for a cancer charity which helped Oisin during his illness battle Tributes have poured in for the talented athlete, with Derrylin Rock Runners hailing Oisin as "a kind inspirational young man who was highly respected in our community". "We were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our dear friend, Oisín Cassidy this morning," they wrote in a post shared on social media. "Oisín was an exceptionally talented runner, both locally and nationally, representing Athletics NI in international competitions. He was also a proud multiple time winner of our very own 5K race. "Throughout his illness, Oisín showed remarkable strength, dignity, and kindness. Even during his toughest days he thought of others allowing us to host the 5/10K Around the Rock event in his honor, raising an incredible amount for his chosen cancer charities. "But most of all we will remember Oisín as a kind inspirational young man who was highly respected in our community and we extend our deepest sympathy to his Mum Veronica and all of the Cassidy family. "Rest easy Oisín." The young athlete was also a gifted GAA player who lined out for his local side Derrylin O'Connells, who paid an emotional tribute to the popular and well-liked young man. "Our club is in shock and mourning at the tragic passing of Oisin Cassidy. Oisin proudly represented our club at under age levels and was part of our Under 12 Division 1 league winning team in 2015," the club said. "Oisin a talented and gifted athlete used his athletic prowess to occupy the midfield and wing half back positions in our teams. Oisin would cover every blade of grass when he was on field, with surging runs his trademark. Oisin sadly passed away on Monday "Oisin had made a return to play with our senior team, unfortunately his diagnosis prevented him from playing with his friends. He did however fulfil a vital role for our senior team last year by being our 'Stats man' a role he fulfilled with due diligence. "Our deepest condolences go out to Oisin's mother Veronica, the whole Cassidy family and Oisins friends and teammates. "Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis." As a mark of respect to the young athlete, Derrylin O'Connells postponed all club activities until after Oisin was laid to rest on Wednesday morning. Oisin made an incredible impact on his local community and his friends, neighbours and acquaintances have been left devastated by his passing, with many paying tribute to the "amazing young man". One mourner said:" So sorry for your loss Veronica, Gerald, Cleo, Grandad Emmett, cousins and extended family of Oisin. Taken away far too soon after an illness he bore with courage and dignity, he was an amazing young man. May the angels now circle him and look down on you Veronica." Anther person added: "Veronica, words cannot express my deep sadness on Oisín death at such a young age. He was a fine young man and inspirational during his illness. I know how proud you were of all his achievements and the close bond you both shared. Sincere sympathy to your sister Cleo and family and to your dad Emmett and all his extended family and friends. Thinking of you all at this difficult time." While a third person said: "So sorry to learn that Oisin has passed. Met him through the sport of athletics and found him to be an amiable and humble young man as well as a fine cross country runner. He'll be much missed by team mates past and present and by the wider athletics family. Condolences to his mum Veronica and the family circle." Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Belfast Telegraph
3 days ago
- Health
- Belfast Telegraph
Tributes paid to ‘hugely talented' young athlete after tragic cancer battle
Oisín Cassidy, from Derrylin, was a successful runner who picked up both local and national accolades leading him to represent NI on the international stage. The 22-year-old died peacefully on Monday while surrounded by loved ones following a battle with cancer and is survived by mum, Veronica, uncles, Gerald and Cleo, and grandfather Emmett. A funeral notice carried a tribute from his 'heartbroken' family. "Deeply regretted by his sorrowing mother, aunt, uncle, grandad, cousins and extended family circle,' it said. Oisín's running coach Francis Shaw has reflected on the 'courage and determination' the young man showed despite the devastating diagnosis. 'Oisin will be remembered by the many people who had the good fortune to teach, coach or train and compete alongside him, as not only a hugely talented and committed student athlete, but also as a gentle, caring, compassionate and thoughtful young man who improved the lives of all of us,' he said. Oisín kickstarted his athletics career at St Ninidh's Primary before continuing the sport at St Michael's College and was a member of Enniskillen Running Club and CNDR Track Club in Belfast. A charity event 'Around the Rock for Oisin' organised by Derrylin Rock Runners raised over £45k for several causes of his choice including a new cancer support centre in Enniskillen. In a tribute online, the club said: 'Throughout his illness, Oisín showed remarkable strength, dignity, and kindness. Even during his toughest days he thought of others allowing us to host the 5/10K Around the Rock event in his honor, raising an incredible amount for his chosen cancer charities. 'But most of all we will remember Oisín as a kind inspirational young man who was highly respected in our community and we extend our deepest sympathy to his Mum Veronica and all of the Cassidy family.' Belfast running club Annadale Striders said: 'Oisin was a winner of the Andrew Campbell Cup while competing for St Michael's, Enniskillen and will be fondly remembered by all who knew him through athletics. Our condolences to his Mum Veronica and the family circle.' News Catch Up - Friday 8th August Derrylin O'Connells GAA club expressed shock at the 'tragic passing' of one of their former youth team members. Oisín had made a return at senior level for the side but was forced to step away following his diagnosis. 'Our club is in shock and mourning at the tragic passing of Oisin Cassidy. Oisin proudly represented our club at underage levels and was part of our Under 12 Division 1 league winning team in 2015. 'Oisin was a talented and gifted athlete used his athletic prowess to occupy the midfield and wing half back positions in our teams. Oisin would cover every blade of grass when he was on field, with surging runs his trademark. 'Our deepest condolences go out to Oisin's mother Veronica, the whole Cassidy family and Oisin's friends and teammates. 'As a mark of respect all club activities will be postponed until after Oisin is laid to rest.' A Requiem Mass took place in St Ninnidh's Church in Derrylin on Wednesday before Oisin was buried in the adjoining cemetery.
Irish Daily Mirror
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
'The worst thing you can do is be afraid to fail and let your dream die'
Colin Judge hopes his journey to becoming a two-time Paralympian and Paris 2024 flagbearer can inspire others who are struggling with their disability. The Dubliner has recalled to Fitter Happier how he had to face down his own fear of failure to become one of the best table tennis players in the world. 'It began when I was 10 or 11 years of age,' he said. 'I was struggling with my disability a lot, I'd just gone into secondary school. 'I went to an able-bodied rugby school, St Michael's College, and it was the first time I really realised I was different. 'My friends all started playing rugby at this stage and it obviously wasn't an option for me.' So, along with his brother, he went searching for a sport that he could play. 'I remember being in UCD at a sports camp, trying out a number of different sports with my younger, able-bodied brother,' said the 30-year-old. 'Wheelchair rugby was the first, which was a lot of fun, but I wasn't very good at it. My brother beat me at everything, more or less, for the majority of the week. 'Having one arm and no legs, I struggled with a lot of sports. 'But table tennis was the last one that we tried and I took to it pretty quickly. It was the only sport that I could beat my brother at, so it was from there that I decided to give it a go.' It wasn't easy, though, as Judge was anxious about reaching out for advice. Judge was speaking at the launch of a partnership between SPAR and EUROSPAR, and The Olympic Federation of Ireland and Paralympics Ireland. He said: 'I reached out to the coach in UCD, which was quite a big deal for me at the time, because I was a pretty nervous guy, and I didn't want to be a nuisance. 'I felt I wasn't going to be good enough. But I did it in the end and the rest is history, I suppose. I'm very happy that I sent that email. 'I wasn't very good at it at the beginning, but I suppose it was more of an outlet in my earlier days, somewhere to go in the evening, improve my social skills and do a bit of exercise. 'Then it obviously became much more than that over the years.' Judge's rise in the world of table tennis has been impressive. After the heartache of missing out on a spot at Rio in 2016 by one place, he qualified for Tokyo and then Paris, where he led out Team Ireland at the opening ceremony. Currently in the top-eight in the world, he has been performing consistently this year and has three more ranking tournaments to come, including the European Championships in Sweden in November. A third Paralympics in LA is on the agenda, with Judge saying: 'There's gas left in the tank. 100 percent. We are very committed to that at the moment.' Judge's sporting successes have been mirrored in other areas of his life. He has paused a career in actuary to focus on full-time training. His story is as powerful as anyone's when it comes to the positive role that sport can play. 'As I got involved in table tennis, my social skills improved a lot,' he said. 'But more than that, once I started to take the sport seriously, I started to set goals for myself, I started to commit to training four or five times a week. 'I didn't reach all the goals that I set out for myself, but I think the goals that I did reach helped boost that relationship that I had with me, and made me feel better about myself. It gave me confidence. 'Then, over the years as I got better, I realised that for all the things I couldn't do, there was a lot that I could do. 'The success that I achieved in table tennis translated directly into other areas of life.' 'I don't know where I would be without (sport).' That takes us to his message for anyone who might be, as was the case for Judge when he went to secondary school, struggling with their disability. He said: 'I think the absolute best advice I could give is similar to what I said about sending that email. 'Sometimes when you are a young kid with a disability it is extremely difficult to put yourself out there and take the initiative. But the people out there are a lot nicer than you think sometimes. 'I was so afraid that I'd be a nuisance and I wouldn't be good enough. I probably wasn't good enough, but so many people helped me along the way. 'I think the worst thing you can do is be afraid to fail and let your dream die. 'Sometimes you have got to put yourself in those uncomfortable situations and really just try everything, and not be afraid to fail, and not be afraid to take the initiative and put yourself in an uncomfortable situation, because that's where a lot of growth happens.' # SPAR and EUROSPAR have been announced as Official Retail Partners to The Olympic Federation of Ireland and Paralympics Ireland. As part of the agreement, they will offer opportunities for communities to show their support for their local athletes. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
Irish Independent
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Obituary: Mickey MacConnell, journalist, singer and songwriter who scored an cult online hit with The Ballad of Lidl & Aldi
MacConnell was the youngest of the five children of Sandy MacConnell, a shopkeeper in Bellanaleck, and Mary, a teacher in the local primary school. He later attended secondary school at St Michael's College in Enniskillen and a classmate recalls that 'even then he was a brilliant wordsmith and musician'. His talent is reflected in the fact that, at the early age of 17, he wrote the popular ballad Only Our Rivers Run Free, about the prospects for a free and united Ireland. He said it was inspired by the fear in his father's eyes after an early civil rights protest was disrupted by police in Enniskillen. He also recalled that as a fledgling reporter he was covering a council meeting for the Fermanagh Herald where he witnessed the frustration of Catholic families over the allocation of houses to single Protestants. 'It was never a republican song per se, but a song about the love of one's country,' he said. The ballad became a folk classic and recordings were made by the Wolfe Tones, Christy Moore, Mary Black, the Irish Tenors and others, including MacConnell himself, who in due course became known as 'The Bard of Bellanaleck'. MacConnelll started his career in journalism as a reporter with the Enniskillen-based Fermanagh Herald, later moving to Dublin where he worked with the Irish Press Group. He later moved to The Irish Times, where his duties included covering the Seanad. When Lord Mountbatten was blown up and killed with other passengers on a boat off the Sligo coast in August 1979, Andrew Hamilton, another respected journalist who came from a Northern unionist background, put a message on the noticeboard inviting newsroom colleagues to stand for a minute's silence in memory of the close relative of the British royal family. MacConnell put up his own message which read: 'Let me tell you Andy, when we come to work on Monday, I'll stand for Lord Mountbatten if you stand for Bloody Sunday.' MacConnell met his future wife, schoolteacher Maura at a Fleadh Cheoil in 1972. He later left The Irish Times and moved to Listowel, Co Kerry, where he wrote a weekly column for The Kerryman and became a regular musical performer in the late playwright John B Keane's pub, now run by the writer's son, Billy. Another song MacConnell wrote, The Ballad of Lidl & Aldi, has more than 1.3 million views on YouTube. It tells the story of a man whose wife has a health issue and he ends up doing the weekly shopping. The husband is dreading the prospect until he discovers that the titular supermarkets are selling hardware in addition to traditional groceries. The song declares that he can buy angle grinders as well as black puddings, streaky rashers and a wetsuit from Japan, a pair of climber's boots and heads of cabbage, an inflatable rubber dinghy and bags of spuds. A video online shows him performing the ballad in John B Keane's pub. One night, Billy Keane and some of the regulars brought in all the items mentioned in the lyrics. Regular customers were greatly amused, as was MacConnell, who struggled to keep a straight face while singing. MacConnell was also the resident musician at McMunn's bar and restaurant in Ballybunion at weekends. ADVERTISEMENT Another well-known song he wrote, Supermarket Wine, describes travelling in a faulty car with his girlfriend to the Galway races, where the couple rely on a man to place a bet for them and the ballad declares that 'the horse he put our money on, I'd swear it's running still'. MacConnell's first album was Peter Pan and Me (1992) and songs from it were later recorded by other leading artists. In 2016, he received the prestigious Creative Arts Award at the Fiddlers' Green Folk Festival in Rostrevor, Co Down. The first such award was presented in 2000 to Seamus Heaney. Mickey's sister Maura died in 2007 and his brother Seán, another great wit who served as Agriculture Correspondent of The Irish Times for many years, died in 2013. Mickey MacConnell is survived by his brothers, Cormac and Cathal. A traditional flute-player and singer, Cathal is a founder-member of Scottish-Irish Celtic music band The Boys of the Lough. Cormac is also acclaimed for the songs he has written, including Christmas in the Trenches 1914, which is included on his father's album, Joined Up Writing. Michael (Mickey) MacConnell is survived by his wife Maura, daughters Kerry and Claire , brothers Cathal and Cormac and other relatives and friends.
