13 December 2014
Tribute to Eddie
Recently Lámh Dhearg hosted the Tribute to Eddie event which celebrated the life of former Lámh Dhearg player, member and county referee Eddie Fitzsimons, who sadly passed away in September.
The event was hugely successful with a magnificent turnout of family, club members as well as Eddie’s refereeing colleagues in Antrim and other GAA Gaels.
Meabh McNeill [Aged 10] got proceedings underway singing amhrán na bhfiann and later in the evening read a beautiful poem written by Sean McKenna in memory of Eddie entitled ‘The Referee’
The Referee
His whistle blows, he wants you out
Captains please ul hear him shout
You know I'm firm you know I'm fair
His whistle goes, balls in the air.
His game it flows he stops it few but when he does you get his view.
Keep it shut,
you hear him say now take your free come on just play.
When the game is over he wants your view on how his game was seen by you.
But now his whistle can't be heard, his points of view no longer shared.
Our loss is great and deeply felt by family friends and people he met.
For my friend Eddie
Paul Buchanan addressed the audience and called for a minute and a half’s applause in tribute to Eddie accompanied by Sunday Game theme tune and told a few stories of his memories of Eddie, before introducing special guest and former Down All-Ireland winner Ross Carr.
Ross spoke of the first time he encountered Eddie emerging from the dressing rooms at a cold Hannahstown in blizzard like conditions wearing shorts and a shirt, whilst others around him went in search of extra-layers, before recalling a meeting years later when Eddie was refereeing his sons game in an Ulster Colleges match in Armagh, where Eddie asked Ross “are you still wearing them tights” (referring to their previous meeting on that cold night in Hannahstown).
Just before proceedings came to an end Antrim Chairman Jim Murray and vice chair Joe Edwards accepted a beautifully crafted trophy from the Fitzsimons family in memory of Eddie, which is to be presented to the winners of the Division One football league where Eddie would often have officiated.
Chair of referees Paddy Quinn also presented the Eddie Fitzsimons referee award and the inaugural winner was Eddie which was posthumously presented to Frank Fitzsimons sen .
The large crowd were entertained by Colin Glen pipe band, Peters Peters & Co and Rab McCullouch.
The Fitzsimons family would like to thank everyone who organized and attended or supported the function.
Thank you to Seamus Loughran and the Andersonstown News for the photographs.
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