Memorial  match honours tragic young GAA man who died after building site accident
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Memorial match honours tragic young GAA man who died after building site accident

A MEMORIAL GAA match was  held in honour of a tragic young Irishman two years after his death following a workplace accident.

The Seán Sweeney Memorial Game was held at Scotthall in Leeds last month, where a team of under 30s played a team of over 30s, beating them by just three points.

The teams were made up of past and present players of the John F Kennedy’s GAA club.

Donegal-born Seán Sweeney moved to Leeds as a youngster where he later became heavily involved in the club.

On October 5, 2011, at the age of 21, Seán had a serious accident while at work on a building site.

He passed away five years later, on March 18, 2016, aged 26.

The club paid tribute to Seán by holding the memorial match to mark the second anniversary of his death last month.

More than 50 players turned out for the event, with many coming from across Ireland - and one from as far away as San Francisco in the US – to take part.

Seán’s parents John and Marie Sweeeny were also in attendance.

Club-mate and friend Steven Doherty told The Irish Post: “Seán touched the hearts of many, both young and old, and as a club we thought that we would honour him by arranging a memorial match in his name.

“The game was played with high intensity with both teams giving everything they had to get their hand on The Sean Sweeney Trophy.

“The turnout was testament to Sean and his family and due to the success, this will become an annual event in the JFK calendar.”

He added: “In memory of Sean, we designed our latest kit with his surname on the collar and also included his Celtic cross tattoo that he was very proud of.”