Sport

Passing of Fermanagh All-Ireland winner and Bredagh founder Jim O'Keefe

Bredagh president Jim O'Keefe pictured with club captain Donal Hughes after the South Belfast Gaels captured the Down Intermediate Football Championship title last year
Bredagh president Jim O'Keefe pictured with club captain Donal Hughes after the South Belfast Gaels captured the Down Intermediate Football Championship title last year Bredagh president Jim O'Keefe pictured with club captain Donal Hughes after the South Belfast Gaels captured the Down Intermediate Football Championship title last year

THE death has taken place of founding member and long-time president of Bredagh GAC Jim O’Keefe.

O’Keefe, who had been ill for some time, was one of the small number of Gaels in the south Belfast area, including Frank McMullan, Éamon Gilmore and Father Matt Wallace, who came together to form Bredagh in the autumn of 1971. He had served as president of the club for more than a decade.

A native of Fermanagh, O’Keefe won an All-Ireland Junior Football Championship title with the Erne county in 1959.

Club chairman Malcolm MacFarlane remembers O’Keefe as the lifeblood of the club and all its activities.

“On a personal basis, as chairman of the club, I always found him very supportive, never behind the door in ringing me with an opinion, but always there and very supportive of all the things myself and the committee were doing,” he said.

“I never saw a man who got more enjoyment out of of going down to the park and seeing the number of children and adults now participating in the club across all four codes – he was there for ladies’ football, camogie. If anybody was playing games, he was there.”

“He was still attending games up to and including this season,” MacFarlane added.

“We offer our condolences, as a committee and on behalf of the whole club, to Ciarán, who is our current secretary, and all the other children who have turned out over the years for the club and the numerous grandchildren playing for the club at present.”