THE KERRY McKEON BLOG .... ISSUE 50

REMEMBERING OUR DROWNING VICTIMS .. Bobby, Tommy and Michael

It is hard to comprehend that it is a full eighteen years ago this week that we lost our three young sportsmen in a drowning accident at Strandhill Co. Sligo. Bobby Taylor, Tommy Coyle and Michael Higgins were three teenagers who enjoyed life to the full played Gaelic football with our club, played county under age too, played soccer also and were a shining light with a bright future inside our community. Sadly a freak wave on a sunny Sunday in May 1998 swept them out to sea as they took a seaside break . It was a tragedy of immense proportions leaving our club dumbstruck but of course the greater loss, as always in these sad events, fell to their respective families.

A memorial stone has been erected in their honour at Fr Kevin Brehony Park in Keash and a similar one at Gurteen Community Park and this is a well deserved and highly commendable undertaking by both of those park committees. To add to this and to further commemorate the memory of these three young sportsmen we are pleased to say that something else is now about to happen. Jimmy McArdle is a singer / songwriter who hails from West Belfast but has been based for many years in Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Jimmy who has had playing spells with The Bards and The Wolfe Tones, is well known to many people in the Gurteen area, being an uncle of the late Kerry McKeon and has visited Gurteen on dozens of occasions playing his music in places like Ted McGowans and Donegans. Familiar with the Taylor family in particular Jimmy who indeed witnessed much bloodshed in Belfast in the seventies,was saddened by the tragedy of eighteen years ago and still has the Sligo Champion report of the drowning pinned to the wall of his U.S. home.

On many occasions since 1998 Jimmy has spoken of writing a song about the Strandhill tragedy and we are happy to report that this has now been done although it is not yet to hand. Preparations are very much at the preliminary stage however the plan now is to get this recording on to a CD and have the CD launch in Drurys Pub in Monasteraden on Saturday August 13th when we hope to have Jimmy home to front up the launch. Once initial costs are covered the proposal is to donate the remainder to a charity which will be selected by the Taylor, Coyle and Higgins families. More about all of this later.

Lean Na Clairsigh

Bye for now

P.J. McKeon for Kerry McKeon R.I.P.