WHEN James O’Keefe was asked why he became involved in starting Bredagh GAA club in Belfast in 1971, he replied simply that he had “played and enjoyed Gaelic football growing up in Newtownbutler and wanted to give the same opportunity to his five sons to play our national games”.
It was therefore not a difficult choice for him to join with like-minded people such as Fr Matt Wallace, Frank McMullan, Eamon Gilmore and Seamus Sammon to form a club and enter teams into the Down leagues.
James was born in Newtownbutler in 1937 and had played football, along with his brother Gabriel, with the First Fermanaghs during a golden era for the club, contesting seven senior championship finals from 1959 to 1968 and winning two.
The first came in 1959, when he was also part of the county team that won the Junior All-Ireland, alongside his friend, clubmate and team captain Fr Ignatius McQuillan.
And it was an equally important year off the field as James met and fell in love with Monaghan woman Mary Cusack. They married in 1963 and spent the next 57 years together.
The couple lived first in Newtownbutler but soon moved to Belfast, initially staying in the north of the city but settling in Rosetta in the south-east where they raised a family of five boys and four girls.
James worked for Dan Magennis, who owned a wholesale drinks business as well as some pubs and hotels before moving to W & A Gilbey (acquired later by Diageo) where he was sales manager, travelling the length and breadth of the six counties and becoming known to colleagues as 'King of the Road'.
There was not an event where he would not meet some of his customers, and over time many became good friends.
Gilbeys sponsored major sporting events such as the Aintree Grand National, world title fights and Irish League soccer – with James once finding himself presenting the league trophy to Linfield on the Windsor Park pitch.
But while he enjoyed all of these as well as work trips around the world, he was never happier than at home with his family.
James played football for two seasons with the St Enda's club but travelling across Belfast in 1970/71 became too difficult.
At the same time he was putting his roots down in the east of the city; he was a regular attender at St Bernadette's Church and his children would all attend St Bernard's primary school.
During the early 1970s he and other local men would guard the church and the local primary school at night against any vandalism.
With the help of another Newtown man on the Down county board, Matt Fitzpatrick, the Bredagh club was formed.
It was not an easy time or place to start a GAA club and they faced a number of barriers (and threats) but it took off immediately, winning junior and intermediate leagues in the first two years.
Off the field the club was also a major boost to the local community with sports days, dances and functions, usually held at the Drumkeen Hotel.
James played on and managed the senior team and held various committee positions including chairman and, finally, club president for the last decade.
He would never miss a senior football fixture, home or away, and could be seen most evenings at Cherryvale playing fields watching Bredagh teams of all ages and codes.
Nothing gave him greater pleasure in later years than to see his grandsons and grandaughters in the club colours.
His other sporting passion was badminton. He played for many years with the St Bernadette’s club and right into his sixties would enjoy a game with his grandchildren, as competitive as ever.
James never forgot where he came from or the people he grew up with.
Often he would head off to Belvior Park or one of the city hospitals to visit sick friends. On many occasions he would take them to his home for dinner.
James and Mary were seldom seen apart and attended daily Mass at St Bernadette's up until his last few weeks.
Fr Michael Spence said at his funeral: “There were three words that might sum up James – football, faith and family."
However, he might have added a fourth and that was fun - there was always an open house for friends and family get-togethers, where there would be a great dinner cooked by Mary and stories and songs to follow.
Following a short stay in hospital James returned to his home in Upper Knockbreda Road for his final days and slipped peacefully away on October 15 2019.
He was a dearly loved husband to Mary, father to Seán, Jarlath, Ciarán, Feargal, Conor, Sinéad, Áine, Catherine and Naoimh, and grandfather to 24.
He is dearly missed by them all, and by all his extended family and friends.
