WHEN you listen to James Daly’s story it’s hard to imagine he’s still standing. Last July, the Armagh senior ladies football manager lost his wife, Ann, to cancer after an eight-year battle with the disease.
Eight days later, his father, Pete Daly, died suddenly.
Six weeks after that, his teenage son, Ryan, was told there was a “90 per cent chance” he had cancer.
Every sinew of James Daly’s 6ft 4in frame was tested to the absolute limit.
Ryan underwent surgery to have a massive tumour removed from his oesophagus. The good news for Ryan, his father and sisters was that the tumour was benign.
In between times, football kept the Daly clan sane.
They Orchard ladies dug deep to dethrone Monaghan in last year’s Ulster decider before going down to Cork in the All-Ireland series.
They are back in the All-Ireland shake-up in Clones this evening when they take on Laois.
Away from the football field, there is as much energy being expended to remember the life of Ann Daly in a massive fundraising drive – entitled ‘All in for Ann’ - that will culminate in a charity match between Ulster and the Rest of Ireland on October 3.
During a 10-year stint in New York, James met Ann who was of Irish-German parentage.
“In 1997, I took her to Ireland and introduced her to the GAA,” said James. “She just got involved what the kids got involved in.
“My wife was very involved… It was always a family thing. My daughter [Katie] does goals and my other son [Ryan] was always helping out on the sideline. So we were all very much involved in it," James explained.
“Ann was the county secretary and when she was struggling with her illness last year she stepped down but wanted to stay on as senior [ladies] team secretary.
“She died on the 14th of July last year. We won the Ulster Championship on the 6th of July and it was Ann and Sinead [Reel] who put all the stuff in the programme for us, all the pen pics and information.”
Ann was too ill to attend Armagh’s dramatic win over Monaghan – but the cup was at her bedside hours later.
“Going into last year there was never a thought that this would be her last year,” James added.
“She never made the final but I took great pictures of her holding the cup in the hospital that night. She never got out of hospital and died eight days later.”
The tsunami of grief was compounded when eight days later James’s father died suddenly. And there was more heartache and stress around the corner when his son, Ryan, took ill.
How does a man stay on his feet?
“The thing is you’ve no choice. You had to stay strong for Ryan. He was hurting, my daughters were hurting. Ryan had the surgery and we found out he didn’t have cancer.
“So it was a huge relief to us. In the meantime we had lost to Cork. I’d stepped down as the manager. I thought there was no way I could be an inter-county manager.
“But once we found Ryan was okay I had Caroline O’Hanlon at my door and telling me the girls wanted me back.
“But I went back for myself. I needed that. I was taking the Dromintee minor boys as well, so at the minute I’m out of the house five nights a week with football and I love it.”
Now in his fourth year with the Orchard ladies, James Daly will feel the grass under his feet at Clones this evening and will live the moment.
He has enjoyed getting involved in helping with the various fundraising initiatives in memory of his wife.
“It kind of keeps you in touch with her,” he said. “Ann’s first anniversary was last week. It’s something I’m looking forward to doing for her.”
All proceeds from ‘All in for Ann’ will go towards Cancer Focus NI and Breast Cancer Awareness. For further details, contact @allin4ann http://queens.gaa.ie/past-members/all-in-for-ann/
