A very special soccer match took place in Oylegate recently in support of the North Wexford Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NWSPCA).
n January, 2021, John Maher, from Power’s Range, Oylegate passed away unexpectedly at his home.
Two of his daughters, Lisa and Tara, are volunteers with the NWSPCA and the match in Oylegate was held both in memory of their father and also to raise money for the charity.
Oylegate United football club decided to hold a game between the current squad and a team of past players called the Golden Oldies.
The event was a great success with the Golden Oldies emerging victorious.
A bucket collection took place at the game and it raised €1,000 which will be split between the NWSPCA and the Irish Heart Foundation.
The organizers were delighted with the success of the event and thanked everyone involved in making it a great day out for all the family.
For Mr Maher’s family the game obviously had extra-special meaning. His brother, Ray, expressed the gratitude of the entire Maher family to the club.
Commenting in the wake of the game taking place Ray said: “On behalf of the Maher family, from the bottom of our hearts we would like to thank each and everyone who turned up yesterday from the legends to our present team and John Farrell for refereeing even though very dubious at times.”
“Thank you to everyone for their donations on the gate and for our raffle,” he said.
Ray also thanked “Mark, Willie, and Cathy at the Slaney Inn for the festivities afterwards.”
“It was great night and last but not least we would like to say huge thanks to Stretch, Frankie and all of Oylegate Utd for a great day on behalf of our friend and brother Johnny Boy,” said Ray.
John Maher’s daughter, Lisa, said her family was really happy with how the day went and that it was a fitting tribute to her late father who was a devoted Liverpool fan.
“He was mad about soccer and went to every soccer match he could attend,” she said. Lisa also said her father never missed an Oylegate Utd. game.
“He played GAA when he was younger but he was a mad Liverpool supporter and for my 30sth birthday he brought be over to see them,” said Lisa.
However, John himself went over to Anfield on numerous occasions to see his favorite team in action.
John had just turned 62 when he passed away and Lisa said his passing came as a huge shock to his family.
“He absolutely loved us to bits and he adored his four grandchildren,” she said.
“He was the biggest messer with them and he would come down to my sisters every Wednesday and he would take the grandchildren off on an adventure,” she added.
In addition to soccer John also loved music, although he didn’t particularly take to country music, and as Lisa said “he was a very young grandad”.
John was highly respected in the community and worked at Sulzer in Wexford for over 40 years.
“We would like to thank the club for organizing it and especially Danielle Maher,” said Lisa.
Because their father passed away from sudden cardiac arrest, she said the family wanted to do something for the Irish Heart Foundation and also the NWSPCA.
She said herself and her sister, Tara, got involved in the organization in 2009 and love the work the organization does.
“We wanted to do something for them,” said Lisa.