Hundreds remember Ryan at community day in Ballinaboley
The winning team, Presentation de la Salle with the Kearney Family
HUNDREDS of families descended on Paul Monahan Park in Ballinaboley, Leighlinbridge for the inaugural Ryan Kearney cup, a community fun day held in memory of Ryan Kearney, who passed away on 7 July 2025 at the age of 15.
The turnout exceeded all expectations. “The lads on the gate were estimating somewhere around 250 to 300 cars â they were saying there was a huge amount,” said Ryan’s mother, Sinead.
Alongside a football match, the top pitch hosted basketball hoops, penalty shootouts and water games, which, Sinead said, “went down very well.” But it was the traditional games that captured the spirit of the day.
“My aim for it was that everyone had a great day because Ryan would be into all that, a lot of the traditional games for kids like egg and spoon race, three-legged races, sack races, high jumps because they were things he loved. We would have played them in the garden,” she said.
“It was about getting everyone together, playing the match and, if we raised a few bob, that was great, too.” A raffle for prizes donated by local businesses helped push the total raised to around €16,500. Sinead extended thanks to all the businesses and people in the community who helped make it a wonderful day.
The money will be shared between two charities close to Ryan and his family â Aoife’s Clown Doctors, which bring humour and joy to children across Ireland, particularly at the National Children’s Hospital and The Little Duck Foundation, which supports bereaved parents.
An animal lover who fostered more than 100 dogs, Ryan had a special connection to the park. “We only live up the road, so Ryan spent a lot of time there bringing the dogs down for a run around. It was his place,” Sinead said. At one point, the family had 14 foster dogs in the house, all cared for by Ryan.
The Irish Blood Transfusion Service also had a stand at the event, something Sinead was keen to highlight.
“We had that there because Ryan would have had a fair few transfusions,” she said, noting that 67% of blood donations in Ireland go to cancer patients.
Vale Wanderers Football Club paid tribute in a social media post, describing the day as a beautiful tribute filled with love, laughter and togetherness.
