The G.A.A Is A Special Community

The G.A.A is truly a special community. We slate it often ! Problems with rules, referees, pitches, injuries etc. However It can’t be denied that there is truly something special about the G.A.A community. This has been most clear in recent days when the Irish examiner reported the illness of former Cork footballing legend, Kieran O Connor. O Connor enjoyed 7 years playing at the top level for Cork. In those years he won an All-Ireand, 3 Munster finals and 2 National football leagues. The Agheda defender was diagnosed with Ewings disease, which is a rare type of bone cancer. Thehorrible illness has led to two years of chemotherapy for O Connor. In January 2019 he sadly had his leg amputated with the news the cancer had spread further. Sometimes however, it takes a sad story like this to see how genuine and together the G.A.A community is. A go fund me page was set up to raise money for his medical expenses. With many current and former stars coming together on social media seeking small donations the page grew massive support from all over the country. The support shown for the former Cork legend was incredible. 270,000 euro was raised to help with treatment and future care. If that doesn’t show amazing unity and spirit, what does? Although a very sad story, It is nice to be able to speak positively about the G.A.A. We have a special community and when something like this comes up, it is even more visible.