There was no Lucky 4 this week. There was no Senior or reserve football played. There was no youth team training or U16 and Minor Championship finals played, instead there was another Guard of Honour formed for one of our Clubmen’s last journeys home.
On Monday evening as the news spread through the Parish off the passing of Enda Hamill, not for the first time in recent months hundreds of grieving Killeeshil folk, from footballer, runners, walkers, Primary school employees, neighbours and friends gathered as Enda was brought home to Drumfad.
Enda had lost his battle with cancer, a battle which ravaged him during the current pandemic. As a Club we’ll naturally talk about Enda’s love for GAA, playing for St Mary’s Cabragh and under the management of his father Damian and along with a lot of his life long friends won the Clogher tournament at U12 level, sometimes it doesn’t get any better than that achievement. Enda continued up through the youth ranks and into the Senior set-up but Enda was a traveller and in 2012 left for sunnier climes with sweetheart Emma O’Neill and after getting settled in Boston he soon sought out GAA and joined Aidan McAnespie GFC where he played for close on 4 years. Enda and Emma travelled home for his sister Emma’s wedding in 2016 but travelled to Australia the same year where Enda once again found Gaelic games with Sinn Fein GAC Melbourne.
Enda and Emma returned to Ireland, made a home for themselves in Dungannon and Enda fell straight back in football with his beloved Killeeshil GFC. He played Reserve football and with his hard work ethic made his way back onto the Senior panel before events took a turn for the worse and Enda got his dreaded diagnosis. After a few months out to recover from his treatment Enda yet again pulled on the green and white of Killeeshil and in his final competitive game, a Reserve championship game away to Rock, Enda showed the fighting spirit that endeared him to every Club he played for, hitting hard, going for every ball, disrupting the oppositions play and setting up endless attacks, he put in a man of the match performance that evening and this should be a testament to every player in our Club of what you can do, no matter what you have come through. Now a proud father to young Ayla, Enda started training for the 2020 season, a season that was interrupted by Covid, but he still found the time to return after the Covid enforced break but unfortunately Enda wouldn’t pull on the jersey this year.
Enda and Emma had their wedding planned for 2019 but postponed the event for happier days. July 2020 was their date but Covid had the final say on that.
As he always done on the pitch, Enda battled to the bitter end, but as we now know, The Wee Man couldn’t win that one.
The hundreds of messages that appeared on our social media page from all over the world shows how highly regarded Enda was as a friend, work mate and team mate. Our Club and Parish will unite in grief again on Thursday for Enda’s funeral mass in Ackinduff at 11am. Our hearts are broken for his financée Emma and little Ayla. We have no words only prayers for Damian, Brigid, Emma, Una and Eilís. The wider Hamill Family have suffered more than most in recent times but our Club will be there for them and help them through these difficult times as best we can. Our Parish has suffered greatly in recent times with illness and deaths. If your reading this and have a spare moment, remember Enda and his family in your prayers, remember those who have gone long before their time this year and say a prayer for those who will need it most during the coming years.
Enda was a gentleman, a great Clubman and friend, he will be sorely missed but fondly remembered.
Every single Killeeshil Gael near and far sends their most sincere condolences to Emma and Ayla, to his parents Damian and Brigid and his sisters Emma, Una and Eilís.
May Eternal rest grant upon him O Lord and perpetual light shine upon him, may Enda’s soul and the soul of all the faithful departed rest in peace.