Ballyfermot Echo
Thursday 26 July 2012
Memorial game for tragic footballer raises funds for CRY
The community of Kingswood turned out for a worthy cause on Saturday as Ballymount Park hosted the second annual Ciaran McDonnell Memorial Cup, reports Ben Blake.
The charity football match, which raises funds for CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) Ireland, was set up last year and returned to remember a young man who tragically lost his life to Sudden Adult Death Syndrome at the age of 23 in 2010.
A former Kingswood FC and Shamrock Rovers player at schoolboy level, Ciaran was dearly loved in the area, which was evident from the large crowd who were present to show their support as the LSL Premier Saturday side took on a “Dream Team” of his friends and lads from the Tallaght estate.
Having recorded a comfortable 5-2 win last time out, Kingswood went behind to Ben Blake’s goal early on before Garrett Peters grabbed two with his head and AJ Duffy added from the spot.
The hosts did stage a comeback in the second half and narrowed the deficit to a single goal thanks to John Broderick, Colin Lawlor and David Bracken but the Dream team held out for a 4-3 victory.
Ciaran’s mother Dolores Byrne presented both sets of players with medals in the Kingswood Lodge after the final whistle and organizer Sharlene Kennedy thanked all involved in the event, which raised €750 for the charity on the day.