Island mourns passing of Achill footballer

The late Kevin Kilbane celebrates after scoring a goal for Achill in the last few minutes of the TF Royal Hotel and Theatre 2007 Mayo Junior Football Championship Final in McHale Park, Castlebar.

Island mourns passing of Achill footballer


Anton McNulty

The island of Achill was in mourning last week following the sudden death of 25-year-old Achill footballer Kevin Kilbane following a short illness.
The news of Kevin’s sudden passing on Sunday morning last at such a young age was met with sadness throughout the island with the number of people who attended his wake and funeral testament to his popularity.
A native of Gob Fada, Saula, Kevin was diagnosed with a rare type of stomach cancer called linitis plastica or leather bottle stomach. This type of cancer is extremely rare with very little information known about it, and Kevin was one of the youngest people in Ireland to be diagnosed with it. He had undergone treatment before the Christmas and while many people were aware of his illness, his death came as a huge shock to the community.
Hundreds of people were present at his Funeral Mass in the Church of Mary Immaculate, Achill Sound with many more standing outside. A plumber by trade, Kevin was best known for his achievements on the sporting field with both Achill GAA and Achill Rovers and both clubs were represented at the Funeral.
His coffin was draped with the Achill flag and his GAA teammates formed a guard of honour for him on his removal from the church and also helped carry his coffin when it passed the Davitt Park GAA pitch on its way to Polranny cemetery. The students and teachers of McHale College and Scoil Damhnait also formed a guard of honour when the cortege passed by the schools.
One of his highlights on the sporting field occurred in 2007 when he scored a crucial goal to help Achill beat Islandeady to be crowned County Junior Champions. Paying tribute to Kevin, the Chairman of Achill GAA, Packie McGinty said that Kevin was a terrific footballer.
“Kevin was an absolutely fantastic footballer and a person I have known him since he played with Achill at under-age level and right up to the senior team. He was a genuinely nice guy who everyone loved and he will be an awful loss to Achill. His death at such a young age is not only a blow in a sporting sense but also for the whole community and we pass on our condolences to his family,” he said.
His burial took place in Polranny cemetery and he is survived by his daughter, Aoife, partner, Sarah, parents, Michael and Helen, brothers, Colin and Ronan, and sister, Emma, grandparents and extended family and friends.
*A minute’s was held when Achill footballers played Ballintubber in the Kelly Cup last week.