Tributes paid after sad passing of former Meath star and coach Maria Kealy
December 03, 2022
Bill Kealy presents the All Ireland Ladies U16 Cup to Meath captain Maria Kealy
Tributes have been flowing since news of the sad death of former Meath and Dunshaughlin & Royal Gaels star Maria Kealy.
Maria passed away yesterday (Friday) and the GAA community around Dunshaughlin and Meath has been paying tribute since.
A GAA woman through and through, Maria captained Meath to All-Ireland U16 success during her playing days and also won a Leinster intermediate title with Dunshaughlin & Royal Gaels in 2007.
Following her retirement from playing, she became actively involved in coaching football and camogie at both inter-county and club level.
Maria’s family are also immersed in the Dunshaughlin club, with her brothers Richie (manager) and Kevin (selector) overseeing the senior team’s fortunes and her nephew Adam also a player on the team.
Dunshaughlin GAA wrote the following on its Facebook page today:
"It is with intense sadness that we record the death of Maria Kealy, the youngest of the Kealy family, a family that has been at the heart of our club for the past four decades.
"A young woman gone far too early, Maria leaves behind her husband and partner Michael Johnson, heart-broken parents Ead and Patsy and brothers and sisters Kevin, Pat, Dermot, Aiden, Brendan, Denis, Orla and Fiona.
"Maria’s husband Michael played with Dunshaughlin, as did his brothers, Tommy and Anthony while currently her brother Richie is team manager of our intermediate championship side on which nephew Adam is a playing member.
"Her brother Kevin is part of our Junior and Under 20 team management and Aiden is a selector with the club Under 15s.
"To Michael, Ead, Patsy and all the family we send our sincere sympathy. She was a role model of whom you can all be proud and our thoughts and prayers are with you at this most difficult and heart-breaking time.
"Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam cineálta, hassles."
Condolences on behalf of Meath GAA to the Kealy & Johnson families and the @DunshaughlinGAA GAA Club on the death of Maria.
— Meath GAA (@MeathGAA) December 3, 2022
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam uasalhttps://t.co/U5Lm1yf62N pic.twitter.com/oktSkQxwLw
TweetCondolences on behalf of the members of Dunsany GAA Club to the Kealy & Johnson families and the @DunshaughlinGAA GAA Club on the death of Maria.
— Dunsany GAA (@DunsanyGAA) December 3, 2022
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam uasalhttps://t.co/qBYCsmF8OC pic.twitter.com/unxgC3HUt0
