Former teammates and colleagues look back at the brilliance of Patrick McBrearty

When Patrick was good, Patrick was good - Neilly Byrne

The first coach to work with Patrick McBrearty in Donegal was Kilcar’s Neilly Byrne, who encountered him when he returned from Dublin to live in Kilcar.

“I go back a good while with Patrick, I’d say he was nine or 10 in the National School in Kilcar,” says Byrne.

“He was one of a kind. He was a brilliant, brilliant footballer. He was the type of footballer who on any given day could go out and win a game for you. He had that raw ability.

“He was a natural, big in every way, strong and powerful. He also had good hands on him and was an excellent scoretaker,” said Byrne, who added that the football talent had come down the line from both parents. 

“His mother’s people were good footballers and his father, Seamus, was a good enough player. His uncle Gerard was a good player with Kilcar in the 1980s; I thought he was an excellent footballer,” said Byrne. 

“On top of that Patrick is a real gentleman. He could talk to everybody and was friendly with everybody. You could always have the craic with him when you met him in town.”

Byrne revealed that Patrick had texted him hours before the announcement of his retirement became known on Monday evening to thank him for his help and to let him know that he was retiring.

“It’s a mark of the man that he would do that. It was a nice gesture, thanking me. It was thoughtful of him but that is the kind of guy he is,” said Byrne.

“He got great reward for his career. Seven Ulster championship medals and throw in an All-Ireland; no bad achievement. And then he captained Kilcar to bridge that gap in 2017 and he didn’t forget us when he was making his speech that night in the town.

“He has gone out at the top and it is a pity that injury caught up with him. It would have been nice to see what another year would yield as the team were shaping up well and there was also some good young talent coming in.”

Asked if there was a stand-out game or moment in Patrick’s career that he remembers, Byrne said he would be hesitant to pick any one game.

“I remember when playing in Ulster with Carrick VS, we came up against some good teams, teams that are playing at a higher level now. It was no bother for Patrick to play against them boys and lead the Carrick charge. He had several outstanding games.

“When Patrick was good, Patrick was good.

“Any angle, even at a young age, those first 10 yards, he had that burst to get free and when he got that yard, nobody could block him.

“He has left his mark. He can look back with no regrets.

“But my abiding memory of Patrick McBrearty is that he was a gentleman,” said Byrne.