SHAVING his locks for charity has taken years off Kevin McKernan – but he hopes the pandemic will add a couple more onto his inter-county career with Down.
With no specific return to action in sight, members of the 30-club are left wondering if the Covid19 pandemic will usher them into early retirement.
But 32-year-old McKernan is hoping the enforced lay-off will leave him recharged when Gaelic Games resume.
The Burren man admitted: “I’ve had conversations with other guys about this pandemic actually finishing your county career, but if anything it’s made me re-assess everything.
“I’d hope that this time has given me a little bit of a break and allowed my body to rest. In a nice way, it’s also given me a view of what retirement is going to be like. You always hear about lads struggling to deal with it, but this time has given me an opportunity to focus on my family and my teaching career but also it’s made me realise how much I still love the GAA.
“I am looking forward to getting back at some stage and hopefully that is with the county but I’d love to get back with the club first.”
McKernan made his senior bow with the Mournemen during Ross Carr’s reign towards the end of the ‘Noughties’ before becoming a regular fixture in James McCartan, Jim McCorry, the late Eamonn Burns and Paddy Tally’s teams.
Last Friday, the Irish government revealed its plans to see a tentative return to action towards the end of July but it is very much aspirational.
McKernan, however, says the Down squad will be ready whenever a return date is agreed.
“We’ve had a couple of WhatsApp messages and two Zoom meetings for general updates,” McKernan said.
“We’re getting fantastic information in terms of how to look after ourselves both mentally and physically. Paddy [Tally] and the Down County Board are like anybody else, they’re waiting on information because you’re trying to manage a group of 30 lads, but we’ll be ready to perform when we do get back.”
During the current lockdown, McKernan and Down team-mates Ryan McAleenan and Caolan Mooney have decided to shave their heads for the hospice after being recruited by Newry businessman Gary Boyd, part-owner of local fashion store Boyd’s Menswear, to take part in the ‘Hairless for the Hospice’ fundraising campaign.
The players alone have raised almost £10,000, with former Armagh defender and SDLP MLA Justin McNulty and Newry City manager Darren Mullen the latest sporting figures to join the campaign.
McKernan, whose fundraising drive currently stands at over £5,000, paid tribute to all the sports stars who have come together to raise much-needed funds for the South Area Hospice – but reserved a special mention for Gary Boyd who came up with the idea.
“Gary decided to do something very simple for the hospice as his mother was cared for by the hospice. So he decided to shave his head and asked a few of the Down lads to get involved. It has now snowballed into something Gary didn’t anticipate. It just goes to show that from one man’s brave instinct what can come off it. It’s just amazing people’s generosity in times of difficulty.”
It costs £7,000 per day to run the hospice but much of their fundraising efforts have ceased due to the pandemic.
The ‘Hairless for the Hospice’ campaign has raised over £20,000 and counting.
"We had a full itinerary of fundraising events planned in-store before the lockdown was put in place,” said Gary Boyd.
“Unfortunately, like everything else, those ideas had to be shelved, but we wanted to give back to a community that has always been so good to us down through the years, especially after the passing of our mother Terry”.
Marketing consultant Patricia Heaney of ‘I am Digital Group’ commented: “Something that started as a bit of craic to keep the lockdown boredom at bay can result in so much good being done.”
