Tirconaill Gaels remember with fondness the late Jody Gormley

The death of former Tyrone footballer Jody Gormley has evoked much sadness over a wide area including Tirconaill Gaels in London with whom Gormley won two London Senior Championships.

The passing of Gormley at just 53 years of age was learned on Monday night coming just a matter of weeks after he so publicly informed his team at St Macartan’s, Trillick of his terminal cancer diagnosis after they lost out to Errigal Ciaran in the Tyrone county final.

Gormley spent a couple of years with Tirconaill Gaels from late 1999 until 2001 and is remembered with great affection for his time there.

In a Tirconaill Gaels team managed by Maurice Carr of Kilcar, Gormley starred at midfield before injuring his cruciate. He had the knee injury repaired thanks to the generosity of the late Danny Keeney from Drimarone.

Speaking to Donegal Live, Carrick native, Seamus Carr, remembered the late Jody Gormley with much affection for his time with the Gaels.  “He was a shrewd operator and very good at what he did. His wife, Deirdre was working with Spurs (Tottenham Hotspur) as a physio at the time.

“He did his cruciate here and Danny Keeney, God rest him, paid for it. There wasn’t much money here in the Gaels at that time.

“The news of his death on Monday was an awful blow for his family and for so many communities. He touched so many people. He was always straight and good craic. If there was a bit of devilment going he would be the first in it.

“I remember one time Spurs were playing Man United and Deirdre had got seven home tickets. He said, listen lads, I have six tickets and whatever happens, if a team scores and it’s not Spurs, don’t one of you flinch from the seat you are sitting in or I’ll put yous out myself.

“(Ryan) Giggs went down the field, played a one-two and buried it in the net. Jody was looking left and right and not one of us moved but someone else about four rows in front jumped up in the air and then he copped himself on. Then everyone went mad on your man and the stewards came over and threw him out.

“We were all laughing in the pub afterwards about it. We have some great memories. He won two championship medals with us,” said Carr.

“Jody and I always kept in contact. He rang me the day or two before the Donegal county final between Dungloe and Letterkenny and asked me if I was going to the game. I was home that weekend and I told him I was going.

“He said ‘let me know about some of the players there, in case we beat Errigal Ciaran’. They were due to play Errigal Ciaran the following week in the Tyrone county final.

“I said to him, Jody, it’s most likely that Letterkenny will beat Dungloe and all you have to do is watch their five county players and you will be alright there. And he was laughing at me. He never mentioned that he was so sick.

“It turned out that way and I went back to  him. Then Trillick played Errigal Ciaran and lost by a point in the final and he walked into the dressing room afterwards and told the boys the situation he was in.

“That evening Padraig (Seamus’s twin brother) rang me and told me what had happened in the dressing room. I hadn’t the heart to ring him on Monday and then on Tuesday evening he rang me here and he says ‘I suppose you heard the news’.

“I said Jody I heard the terrible news.  He says ‘that’s the way it goes. I’ll tell you what I’m doing, I’m organising a bit of a party here in Paul Blaney’s bar on the Ormeau Road, Belfast on Thursday between 2 and 6. If you can make it great, if not, not to worry.

“I flew over and got a taxi down and met Deirdre first outside and was talking to Jody then and he explained how events had quickly happened.

“I was with him for the four hours and talked now and then. It was the hardest hug I ever had to give any man,” said Carr.

Jody Gormley’s career covered many decades as a player, coach and manager. He was part of the Tyrone team that lost out agonisingly to Dublin in the All-Ireland final of 1995 by 1-10 to 0-12. Peter Canavan scored 0-11 with Gormley scoring the other Tyrone point on the day.

He went on to coach Down and manage Antrim at intercounty level and led Abbey CBS, Newry to their one and only Hogan Cup success.

After playing with Tirconaill Gaels, he returned to Belfast to play with Bredagh and there was another connection with Donegal as Naomh Brid played against Bredagh in an Ulster Junior Championship semi-final in Breffni Park in 2006 and Gormley was midfield for the north Down side.

Jody Gormley will be buried in his native Trillick on Thursday and is survived by his wife, Deirdre; son James; daughters Áine and Niamh; mother Sheila; brothers Damien and Eoin and sister Anita.