Shock and sadness at sudden passing of Liam Kearns

It was with a sense of great shock and sadness that the GAA world heard of the sudden death of Offaly senior football manager Liam Kearns on Sunday last.

I first met the Tralee native when he was manager of the Limerick footballers. I had numerous dealings with him over the years, both professionally and privately. He was always a lovely man to meet. Liam loved the GAA and particularly coaching and managing players.

Also involved with Laois and Tipperary over the years, he was assistant manager to John Evans in Roscommon from 2012 to 2015.

Liam’s connections with Roscommon football continued when he was appointed manager of Clann na nGael in 2020 and during that time Liam was a permanent fixture on the sidelines here in the county.

Paying tribute this week, Clann na nGael said: “Liam made an extremely positive impact on our club and was very well regarded by everyone associated with Clann na nGael”.

Liam was a deep thinker on coaching and about strength and conditioning and all other aspects of the game and he was a very popular man with players. He loved working with young players and developing them into the senior ranks.

His sudden passing is a huge shock to everyone who knew him. We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife Angela, daughters Rachel and Laura, and all his family and friends. May he rest in peace.

Praising the four female elected members of Roscommon County Council, Mr Tiernan also paid tribute to past members who helped lead the way for local women in politics.

“The county still has a journey to go in order to allow women to play a role,” he said before adding that Roscommon County Council was fully supportive of women who had ambition to become more active in politics as well as in the more traditional male roles within the local authority.

Cllr Orla Leyden said last Wednesday (1st) was a day to celebrate but also “a day to challenge the status quo” and to “challenge what isn’t working” in terms of gender balance.

Cllr Valerie Byrne said it was important to celebrate how far women had come but to also remember there was still a long way to go.

Cllr Kathleen Shanagher paid tribute to the senior executive and highlighted some of the challenges faced by women including the effort and organisation required by working mothers to attend the event.

The meeting also heard from Rita Kearney and members of Roscommon Women’s Network, members of Comhairle na nÓg, Mairead O’Shea of ‘See Her Elected’, and elected male members including Cathaoirleach Cllr. Tom Crosby.

The winner of this year’s Roscommon County Enterprise Award is Monksland-based bridal company ‘Lark Bridal’. The winner took the top prize of €2,000 at last week’s awards ceremony in the Hodson Bay Hotel in Athlone.

The awards were held in conjunction with National Enterprise Week, during which a wide range of business and enterprise events were held throughout the country, attracting considerable interest from local businesses.

Lark Bridal will now represent the county at the 23rd National Enterprise Awards at the Mansion House in Dublin on June 1st. The company will be hoping to emulate the fortunes of Lidan Designs who won the National Enterprise Future Focus Award in 2021 and Boyle-based Studio Meala who won the West Regional Award last year.

Lark Bridal exports to 32 counties with customers in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, exporting to over a thousand clients. The company has been in business for the past eight years.

In running the company, Ruth Larkin is assisted by her business partner and husband Jason. Lark Bridal Ltd are the distributors of the largest bridal brands Maggie Sottero Designs and of the largest bridesmaids brand, the Dessy Group. They distribute B2B (business to business) exclusively to retailers.

Speaking at the awards, Ruth said: “This award from LEO is a fantastic acknowledgement of all that we do. After Covid-19, we have returned to growth and the company continues to excel”. The day after the awards, Ruth and Jason were setting off for a series of international shows, trade shows and private events in Amsterdam, London, Essen and Milan. All of the award winners were presented with a specially commissioned trophy and a hamper of goods containing locally sourced produce from Roscommon LEO clients, featuring items from Black Donkey Brewing, Roscommon Chocolates, DeDanu Cosmetics, Rita Oates Gift Cards, Chef Sham’s sauces from Cortober and Sandra’s Creative Candles.