Well, people are just great, aren’t they?

Ah yes, I cried in Croke Park last Sunday. My tears were not for the Cork team -they came to Dublin to win but never really got going and Tipperary were far better on the day. No need for tears on that account.

Yes, sport can be wonderful, so brilliant; but it can also be so, so cruel.

The cause of my crying came during a magnificent acceptance speech by Tipperary Team captain Ronan Maher. He cited the ‘16th man’ that helped win the All-Ireland for the Premier County. Not the sweeper or the keeper, but Dillon Quirke.

A fantastic young hurler for club and county, Dillon died suddenly whilst playing for his club Clonoulty-Rossmore in 2022. It was a devastating blow for his parents Dan and Hazel and his sisters Shannon and Kellie.

Looking back at his hurling progression over the years, it would have been likely that if he had lived, Dillon would have been on Tipp’s starting 15 against Cork last Sunday.

Alas, that was not to be, but Maher’s tribute emphasised that the spirit and memory of the young sportsman was ever-present with the team.

Manager Liam Cahill said the same, and it is obvious that Dillon’s ‘legacy’ will live on forever in the valley of Slievnamon.

The Dillon Quirke Foundation is an ongoing testament to the young hurler’s popularity and influence on so many. The greatest gift anyone can give is the gift of life, and the Quirke family have done just that again and again.

After the death of their son and brother, the family channelled their grief into a great gift of giving. In setting up the Foundation in Dillon’s memory, they were endeavouring to ensure other families would not go through the awful trauma and tragedy that befell them.

By screening........

© Evening Echo