Family and friends of late Aghamore footballer James McNeive to climb five mountains for charity

Enda Sweeney brought his only child home from the hospital one morning last August. At 8 am, his father rang. 

“Did you hear about James?” he wept down the phone. 

James McNeive, a cousin of Enda’s, his teammate with Aghamore GAA, a treasured son, brother, boyfriend, and a colleague, friend and teacher to so many, had died in Sligo while travelling home from visiting his girlfriend, Catherine Carr. He was 28. 

Enda, who lived ‘a good kick of a ball’ away from James in Knock village, hopped into his car. 

“To drive up to a relation’s house to see a garda car sitting outside it, it shoots you like a dagger,” Enda tells The Mayo News. “I don’t wish it on anyone. To lose him was an absolute dagger.”

Due to the severity of his injuries, the bank holiday, and general hold-ups, James’s body came home late. 

“It was certainly the longest week ever,” says Enda. “I’d hear people say: ‘God, get him buried within a day, or two, or three days’. I understand why they say it now. It’s an awful long week. Because people want to naturally come up and give you condolences. It’s very hard to maintain the energy to be reciprocal for one whole week when you have such a devastating loss.”

James’s friends and family got to be with him, but they never saw his face again. His injuries were so bad that his coffin remained closed. Some got to touch his hands, but that was it. 

“There is an awful lot to be said about an open coffin. I didn’t realise it until I had to deal with a closed one,” says Enda. 

^{Ross Egan, John, Michael, Bernadette, and Matthew McNeive with cousins Declan and Enda Sweeney preparing to honour James McNeive who died tragically in a road accident Pic: Conor McKeown}

CLOSURE

IT was said at his funeral that you could write a book of all the funny stories and happy memories from James McNeive’s short life. He was cheerful, cheeky, happy-go-lucky, full of scheming and devilment, a gentleman who lit up every life he touched. 

To this day, due to the circumstances of this death, Enda Sweeney and those who knew James best have yet to find closure. 

“I have lost other people that are close to me. When you see the body, you know they’re gone,” explains Enda. 

“James went to Donegal that weekend [that he died]...James went to heaven on that trip up. That coffin coming home, even when I go to his grave, it doesn’t seem like it’s his. It feels like I’m looking into a box. James just feels like an energy that’s left.”

Eight months on from his passing, James’s family and friends still can’t fully grasp that he’s gone. That’s why they are determined to keep his memory and spirit alive by climbing five mountains in five days, starting on June 24, the day God blessed the world with James McNeive. 

The ‘Summit for James – Five Peak Challenge’ will see groups of varying sizes climb the five highest mountains in Ireland and the UK to fundraise for several local and national charities and causes (full list below) through the newly-established James McNeive Foundation. 

The response from businesses and individuals has been generous - over €10,000 has been raised so far - and is snowballing by the day. 

“I’m thinking of one gentleman, in particular, from Claremorris,” says Enda. “He came over to the house crying, took sponsorship cards, and has ten lads signed up to go climbing all these mountains. We didn’t even know this man. It has definitely, in a good way, not allowed closure to happen on James’s life.”

CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN

THEY start with Ben Nevis, in Scotland (1,345 metres), followed by Scafell Pike (978 metres) in northern England. They then venture west to Snowdon in Wales (1,085 metres). Then it’s back home to Ireland, to scale the country’s highest peak, Carrauntoohil, Co Kerry (1,038). On the final day, it’s back home to Mayo - Croagh Patrick. 

Though standing at a mere 764 metres, the Clew Bay colossus still presents a formidable challenge, particularly to limbs that have scaled over 4.4 kilometres of rocky, unforgiving terrain in four days. 

“It’s daunting. It’s extremely daunting,” says Enda, one of several Aghamore footballers doing the five climbs. “I’m in my mid-30s now, and the closer you get to 40, the more things actually hurt, so it is extremely daunting; there is a lot of practice going in.

“There are people climbing Croagh Patrick one day and Nephin the other day to get used to the extent of the challenge. It’s extremely daunting - but not impossible.”

That’s certainly the attitude of James’s 67-year-old mother, Bernadette. 

“She never climbed Croagh Patrick. She is now climbing Croagh Patrick every single weekend to try and practice to get up these mountains. She’s not saying that she’ll definitely get up them, but she is going to give it her best shot to get up every one of these mountains, or as far up as she can.”

Five mountains, seventeen good causes, one unforgettable young man. 

All proceeds raised from the ‘Summit for James – Five Peak Challenge’ will go towards the following:, Make-A-Wish Ireland - Children’s Charity, Daisy Lodge, Irish Kidney Association, Mayo MindSpace, Irish Heart Foundation, Bekan NS, Aghamore NS, Gortskehy NS, Knock NS, Tooreen NS, Barnacarroll NS, Ballyhaunis NS, Glasnevin NS, St Louis Community School, Aghamore GAA, Eastern Gaels GAA.

You can support the James McNeive Foundation’s fundraiser via this link.