Termon GAA club pays emotional tribute to the late Anthony McGrenra

It was an emotional evening at the Burn Road as Termon GAA club took to the field for the first time since the passing of Anthony McGrenra.

With Glenfin the visitors in the All-County Football League Division 1, Eddie Harkin from the Termon club read the eulogy to those in attendance. It was penned by Anthony's friend Hugh Harkin and also read by  Fr Michael McKeever from St Colmcille's Church in Glendowan at Anthony’s funeral mass at St Eunan’s Cathedral in Letterkenny, which took place in front of a massive turnout.

Anthony, who was 41 and a Senior Quantity Surveyor at Sammon Chartered Surveyors, passed away peacefully last Monday at Donegal Hospice and was laid to rest in Conwall cemetery on Friday. Anthony was an immensely popular figure at Termon GAA club. He was vice-chair when the club established the ‘new’ Burn Road in 2009.

The Termon senior and reserve panels stood for an especially observed minute’s silence, as did Glenfin, which was conducted by match referee Martin Coll. Termon’s players wore black armbands for the match, which finished in a 1-13 to 1-13 draw.

Anthony will be missed by loving wife Catherine and adoring children Ruth, Paul and Neil, with the family having set up home in Listillion; his father Patrick (Carrick, Trentagh), brothers Aidan (Carrick, Trentagh) and Connell (Mullagheep, Ballyarr), sisters Patricia McGrenra (Glenoughty Close, Glencar) and Mary Doherty (Carrick, Trentagh), mother-in-law Anne Boner (Burtonport), brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and a wide circle of family, friends and neighbours. Predeceased by his mother Essie and father-in-law Danny Boner (Big D, Burtonport).

“Anthony McGrenra was a special man,” reads the eulogy. “A husband, a father, a son, a brother, an uncle, a nephew, a cousin and a friend. His young life in Carrick, Trentagh, surrounded by his family were always great memories of Anthony’s which he talked about often. 

“He became friends and confidants to his in-laws and was a loving uncle to his nieces and nephews. Like all his family, Anthony was rocked to the core with [his mother] Essie’s passing in 2018. His faith proved a massive source of strength at that time. She was finished suffering and Anthony took solace in that.

 “After a false start in Sligo studying General nursing Anthony attended LYIT, Sligo IT and Limerick University to attain his qualification in Quantity Surveying. Anthony made lifelong friends along the way. From beating - and sometimes cheating! - his friends at 25 to living with three close friends in Sligo Anthony created great memories on his third level journey. 

“Anthony took great pride in the impact his role as Quantity Surveyor at Sammon Surveyors could make on the world. Health care and educational projects were Anthony’s niche. He loved knowing these projects like Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal and Antrim Hospital would be his professional legacy and would be used for good for decades to come. 

“Another area where Anthony really excelled professionally was when a Junior QS would join the firm. Anthony became interested in them immediately and was hugely helpful to young professionals trying to find their feet. This is reflected in the many close friendships he formed and maintained with these colleagues. Anthony worked for Sammons for 17 years from job placement which is a loyalty unheard of in current times. Another mark of the man.

 “Anthony's love of the GAA was an enduring one throughout his life. He went full circle from underage player in the late 1980s, adult players from the 1990s through to 2020 and finishing up with his role as U-6 lead coach. Alongside his playing career Anthony was heavily involved in the administration of Termon GAA following in his mother and father’s footsteps. 

“Anthony was vice-chair and driving force behind the largest project ever undertaken by Termon GAA club with the development of the new Burn Road playing pitch in 2009. The countless hours of enjoyment on that field since and in the future are a fitting tribute to the man. 

“Anthony’s playing career was well summed up in a tweet by Colin Ferry this week. ‘I never met somebody as competitive on the field and as sound off the field as Anthony’.

 “The GAA allowed Anthony to connect with people in Termon, Donegal, Ulster, Ireland and further afield. This was a part of the GAA that he truly loved. Anthony loved giving the gift of the GAA to his children and loved to hear off their training and games. This was even more important to him in his final few weeks. 

“Anthony would be incredibly proud of the GAA community this week. With thousands of messages online, thousands of callers to the wake with GAA ties along with Termon GAA stepping up to ensure the smooth running of the wake. It was the least the GAA community could do for one of their own.”

“However, the real love of Anthony’s life, and his soul mate, was Catherine. Or Bridget as she was usually referred to! The early days of their relationship were marked by a vibrant, joyous social life where they were the life and soul of the party. And that was pretty much every party!

“This led to their new role as the social couple of Donegal attending weddings on a regular basis. 32 weddings in one year and three weddings in one day were their personal bests. They easily attended more weddings than any priest!

“Anthony was so incredibly proud when a couple became a family when Ruth came along followed by Paul and Neil.  Ruth had her father wrapped around her finger from a young age. And she knew it! Paul who shares his father’s strong centre and incredible love of football. And Neil! Neil has a glint in his eye and a smile on his face just like his father did all those years ago. You couldn’t but love the wee rascal! 

“Anthony’s final words to any visitor in the last few weeks were ‘Look out for those weins and Catherine.’ They were his world and he theirs. Anthony had an incredible sense of humour and fun. He could give and take a joke no problem. 

“At Jamie [Gallagher] and Catherine’s wedding in 2012 on a very warm day Anthony decided to wear a short sleeved shirt. Anthony's great friend Hugh Harkin got a cheap laugh from the crowd at Anthony's expense from the top table about Anthonys fashion sense or lack thereof. Anthony took the joke in great spirits, but he didn’t forget. 

“In 2019, a full seven years later, [his brother] Connell and Tracey were getting married and Anthony was asked to be best man. He finally had his chance. Anthony innocently told the guests that Connell had attended NUI Galway after Secondary school. Anthony explained that Deirdre Kerr had been the first member of the Harkin/McGrenra connection to attend NUI Galway back in the late 80s and how many other cousins had followed in her footsteps. 

“He had the crowd where he wanted them. He then told the guests that ‘in 1999 Hugh Harkin became the first member of the family to drop out of NUI Galway!’. The room went into hysterics and now they were even.

"Anthony was a great friend to so many people. He cared deeply about people and was a sounding board and rock of sense to many. Everyone had such a close bond and affinity with Anthony for that reason.  At weddings people were always delighted to be seated at the table along with Anthony and Catherine. A night of fun, laughs, scandal and crack awaited. Judge or street sweeper, Anthony didn’t care a jot. Everyone mattered to him regardless of rank or station. 

“They say that the way to truly judge a person is to look at the scope of their friendships. Anthony was world class when looked at in that way.  

“We have all been so lucky to have had Anthony's presence in our lives. And while his mortal remains will lie in Conwall the influence, humour and gentle nature of his can be carried forward by us all to make the world a brighter place. That would be a truly fitting legacy to a man we all loved and would honour the impact that he had on all our lives. Thank you, Anthony, for everything.”