Conneff Park, Clane 15 th June 2024
JOHN REIDY – A TIPP NATIVE, BUT A KILDARE GREAT
The news of the sudden and un.mely death of John Reidy on August 16th 2019. sent shockwaves through the en.re Kildare hurling community and indeed the wider hurling community, especially his na.ve Tipperary.
John Reidy was synonymous with Clane and Kildare hurling. It would be fair to say that for a genera.on of hurlers in Clane, John Reidy was Clane hurling. His towering frame and passion for the game enthralled so many young hurlers as they learned the skills of the game under his tutelage.
Born on August 29th 1958, John aKended Burgess Na.onal School and the Chris.an Brothers in Nenagh for his secondary school educa.on.
John won a North Tipperary Intermediate Hurling Final in 1976 at 18 when Burgess beat Kiladangan in the final. The hurling people of Kildare, however, became familiar with John Reidy when he took up a job with Chadwicks in Naas and transferred to Clane GAA. Burgess and Tipperary's loss was certainly Clane and Kildare's gain.
John became an integral part of both the Clane and Kildare hurling teams. He won an All-Ireland B .tle with his adopted county in 1989. He later went on to manage the team in 1994 and 1995 and served as a county selector under 2 different managers from 2006 to 2011. During that period, he was always striving for the beKerment of Kildare hurling, constantly encouraging young players to don the white jersey and try to leave it in a beKer place when they ended their careers.
Even when he wasn't ac.vely involved as a player or selector with the county, John was assis.ng KFM as a match day analyst.
John's son, Paudie, inherited his father's love for sport and from a young age he represented his county with dis.nc.on in both Gaelic Football and Hurling. Being John's son, however, hurling quickly became his number one passion and he became a vital cog in the Kildare senior hurling team. His daughter Emma's husband Adrian McAndrew was also a star of the county hurling team, and it was a wonderful source of pride for John to have both Paudie and Adrian driving the county forward. One of John's proudest hurling moments, however, was donning the Clane jersey with Paudie to win the Kildare Intermediate Hurling Championship in 2001. While John lined out at full back on the day and Paudie at full forward, with John's monstrous drive of a ball, he could s.ll find his son with a pass when it was on.
John was also a successful businessman and a great mentor to both of his children as they built their careers. He worked hard all his life and with Catherine by his side, they built a very successful hardware and DIY business in Kildare town. Outside of hurling, his primary interests were the country pursuits that he was raised with. John liked hun.ng for game and had an excellent shot. He bred springer spaniel dogs and was a big fan of the horses and greyhound racing.
The .ming of John's sudden death in Naas Hospital, at just 60, could not have happened at a more poignant .me, just two days before his beloved Tipperary won the All Ireland senior hurling final, a victory he would have rejoiced in and indeed maybe even divinely assisted in. While he had spent a very large part of his life in Clane, John was first and foremost a Tipperary man. He was hugely loyal to na.ve county and a wonderful Tipperary hurling supporter.
There was a huge outpouring of grief as news of his death emerged and the esteem in which he was held was underlined by the massive crowds, including the many who travelled from Tipperary, aKending his wake and funeral. His stature as a true hurling man was also reflected in the minute's silence observed in his memory prior to the 2019 All-Ireland Under 20 hurling final. One of the last
text messages on his phone was to John Sheedy, brother of Liam and a selector on the Tipperary senior team. Hurling occupied his thoughts right up to his passing. Liam and John Sheedy and Ken Hogan showed the true value of friendship when taking .me out from their 2019 All Ireland celebra.ons to come to the house to pay their respects on the Tuesday.
There are a lot of posi.ve words that people who knew John Reidy would use to describe him, but passionate and kind-hearted are two that almost everybody would say. He was passionate about everything he was involved in and his passion could always be seen in his facial expressions and heard in his voice. He was also an extremely generous and kind-hearted man. He was giving of his .me, but he was also a man that went out of his way to help people in any way he could.
Above all else though, John Reidy will be remembered as a wonderful family man who was closest of all to his nearest and his dearest. John and Catherine truly were a team They were inseparable and shared many great loves in life. He adored his son Paudie and daughter Emma and was always there to advise them and share their joys with them. In recent .mes he had the pleasure of his grandchildren arriving into his life. Sadly for them they have had too liKle .me to share with a wonderful man.
John will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He has been taken from us far too soon, but his loss will be greatest felt by his wife Catherine, daughter Emma, son Paudie, his own mother Emma, grandchildren Lauren-Beth, Claudine, Tess and Billy, brothers Paddy and Michael, sisters Josephine and Una, son-in-law Adrian and daughter-in-law Caroline.
The big man’s passing has led a huge gap in Team Reidy that won’t be filled, but the values he has ins.lled in his family and the passion he showed for his chosen sport, will ensure that his memory lives on in all who knew him. We will all remember the big Tipperary man who came to live among us in Clane and became a great of Kildare hurling. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis. Morgan O’Callaghan
John Reidy
John Reidy had many facets to his big character. He was first and foremost a great family man.
His wife Catherine was the apple of his eye, and he treasured their excep>onal rela>onship.
Paudie and Emma, their children and their extended families, were always a priority in his life. John loved his Tipp background and roots. He cherished and held dearly his very strong family >es with his mother, late father and his special bond with his brothers and sisters.
John was a passionate hurling man/sportsman/business man/Tipperary/Kildare man.
John was a colossal and a giant of a man in every sense. He would light up a room with his enormous smiling disposi>on. His engaging personality charm and good humour endeared him to his many many friends and acquaintances near and far. Whereever John went a conversa>on would be struck up and enjoyed with lots of laughter and banter thrown in for good measure.
John would be beaming with enthusiasm and excitement with today’s line up of matches and with this hurling fes>val. He would love to meet and greet all the visi>ng teams and their managers, especially our guests from Tipperary and Wexford.
John loved to chat with former players and officials about past and future games or sport. He always had views and predic>ons regarding up coming
fixtures, inside informa>on on certain players and the form they might be in.
John managed many teams here in this club and for Kildare with dis>nc>on.
He was very popular, much loved and appreciated by all round him. He tried to imbue and ins>ll in his charges the same enthusiasm and spirit for the game of hurling as he abundantly possessed himself. GeLng the best out of lads was just another of his many talents.
Munster Hurling Finals were an annual pilgrimage for the Reidy family. They always included David Harney on those memorable days with his best friend Paudie. There they would have their own minny game and brush shoulders with some the greats of the hurling world on the famous hallowed ground at Thurles.
I was privileged to have played with John Reidy. Whether he was at full forward or full back, John always had FIRE IN HIS BELLY which was infec>ous to the rest of us.
The opposi>on and his marker most certainly knew that John was there on the field of play, and for that maVer the ref was in no doubt either, as this full-blooded warrior was not going to lie down easily or take defeat lightly. John relished the heat of baVle.
I can s>ll see John Reidy grabbing the high ball from the scamaill, men being bounced in every direc>on, turning, heading for goal like Tony
Doran or John Rigney, the goalie shaking in his boots, and no man in Ireland or even Setanta himself would venture to stop him. What a man, was John.
John Reidy was an excep>onal man, larger than life. We were all enriched to have known him, played with him, been friends with him and to have shared our lives with him.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis
Note from David Cahill – Club Chairman Clane GAA
On behalf of Clane GAA I would like to welcome all our teams & guests to the fourth John Reidy Memorial Tournament. I would especially like to welcome the Reidy family who have been a huge part of this Club for many years.
John was a Clane GAA stalwart and made a huge contribuCon to hurling not only in Clane but also with Kildare where he served for many years as player, mentor and manager. He was a huge part of our Club and community and is fondly remembered far and wide by everyone who came into contact with him.
We are delighted as a club to honour him again today with this hurling tournament and I would like to thank the Reidy family and all our visitors for aHending. I would especially like to thank all of the Clubs who have gone out of their way to be part of this tournament and hope they have an enjoyable Cme in Clane GAA and a successful year in 2024.
David Cahill
Note from Kieran Conway - Chairman of Hurling.
A very warm welcome to all the visiCng teams, mentors and supporters. This is the fourth year of the tournament. We appreciate the effort you have made to travel to Clane to honour the memory of John Reidy. It's fantasCc to have clubs from Derry, Galway, Louth, Meath, Westmeath and Wicklow here today.
Best of luck to all the teams and we look forward to a super day of compeCCve hurling.
Thanks also to all the volunteers in the club who have made this day happen again but in parCcular our Senior Hurlers and the tournament coordinator Ciaran Brady.
We hope you enjoy your day with us in Clane GAA.
Kieran Conway
Cullion - Westmeath
Cullion Hurling Club is a vibrant club located approximately 3km outside of Mullingar in County Westmeath. With a proud tradi.on da.ng back to the late 1940s, this passionate club has been a cornerstone of the local community. Just two years ader their forma.on, they won the Westmeath junior hurling championship (1951). Throughout the years, Cullion Hurling Club has celebrated victories, including being crowned Senior B County Champions in 2021.
Avondale - Wicklow
Avondale GAA club was formed in 1886. The name is goKen from the local estate and home of Charles Stewart Parnell, Avondale House. In the early years they won several senior hurling championships but of late they have dropped off the top .er. They have won 13 Senior Hurling Championships, with the last coming in 1983. They have captured two intermediate .tles since, the grade at which they now play. They have also won numerous junior .les along the way and an u21 Championship. Avondale is a dual club, also opera.ng at intermediate level in football. Many players play both codes. The club has teams from under 5 to adulthood and are represented on most county teams through the age groups up to adulthood.
Ballygar
- Galway
Ballygar Hurling Club is situated in east Galway. It was formed in 1969. The club played its first year in Galway and affiliated with Roscommon compeCCons in 1970. The club returned to Galway compeCCons in 1994, and have remained there since playing at Junior A and Intermediate levels at various stages. Key achievements include:
1985 - Roscommon Senior County Champions
2012 - All-Ireland Junior Semi Finalists
2016 - U16A County Champions
2022 - Junior A County Champions
2023 - Intermediate league winners
St Fechin’s - Louth
St Fechin’s GFC was founded in the 1940s and has been a strong force in Louth football ever since. It currently supplies 3 members to Ger Brennan’s Louth SF panel. Hurling was introduced to the club in 1996 by Kilkenny man Tom Ryan and Waterford man Mark Stephenson.
Hurling struggled for success in the years following its introducCon to the club but in 2009 St Fechin’s won its first Louth Féile U14 compeCCon and in the following years achieved much success in under age compeCCons in Louth. In 2015 St Fechin’s won its first Louth SHC. St Fechin’s are the current Louth Senior Hurling Champions having completed 3in-a-row success in 2023.
