As I Roved Out: Every drop counts
The family of the late Oisín Kelly - sister Sadhbh, girlfriend Mairead Bennett, mother Sinead, dad Brendan and brother Cian along with GAA President Jarlath Burns at the launch of a video promoting blood donations. Photo: Pat Ahern
THIS week’s ‘As I Roved’ column was scheduled to be a county final special, a celebration of the biggest day on the domestic Carlow hurling calendar. However if Jarlath Burns, the President of the GAA, could, two days after presenting the Sam Maguire Cup to his native Armagh, two days after his son won a coveted All-Ireland senior football medal, if he could forego the celebrations in the Orchard County to honour a commitment to come to Carlow as Guest of Honour at the launch of promotional video encouraging blood donation among the Gaelic games fraternity, then we too can honour the late Oisin Kelly’s ‘Every Drop Counts’ campaign.
Mind you an important part of Oisin’s story concerns the Carlow Senior Hurling Championship. Come back with me in time, not too far now, just four years, to Friday, July 24, 2020, the commencement of the ‘Covid Championship’. The Netwatch Cullen Park attendance was, by law, confined to just 200, including stewards and media people while all the Covid Protocols were in place including dressing rooms remaining closed, forcing teams to come togged out or to togging out’ in cars.
Among the men togging out for Myshall’s Naomh Eoin that Friday evening was teenager Oisin Kelly who was thrilled to be handed the No 13 black and amber striped jersey, his first ever SHC start, a milestone occasion for the sports mad youth who had won an U-14 HC medal in 2015 and who, aware of the massive Myshall tradition, was proud to follow in the footsteps of the mighty men of the past, men who had won 18 Carlow senior hurling titles.
Naomh Eoin’s opponents were reigning champions St Mullins, opponents who always set the Myshall pulses racing - and vice-versa - so the exchanges were guaranteed to be tough, ’social distancing’ was certainly not compulsory inside the County Grounds white lines! Oisin, operating from right corner forward, marked by John Murphy, opened brightly and despite a typical James Doyle goal early on Myshall were back level in the 12th minute, the equalising point arrowed over by the delighted Oisin Kelly. St Mullins eventually won that game by eight points but it was a content Oisin who headed home to Booldurragh that Summers evening, his first senior hurling championship match, his first senior hurling championship point. The following Tuesday in ‘The Nationalist’ an action shot of Oisin appeared on the front page.
Myshall lost to Mount Leinster Rangers the following week, Oisin again corner forward, this time top of the left and when Naomh Eoin regrouped to beat Ballinkillen and Bagenalstown Gaels to secure a semi-final place the 18 year-old came on as a sub to the play his part in two crucial wins. Oisin also came on as a sub in Naomh Eoin’s semi-final loss to the Rangers but the burning desire to win a SHC medal had been born.
Alas, in 2021 Oisín Kelly was faced with a completely different battle when diagnosed with osteosaracoma, a rare form of cancer in his femur bone. His sister Sadhbh revealed on a Facebook post that ‘Oisin began his chemotherapy in January 2022 but sadly later that year had to have his left leg amputated. Despite the nature of his illness Oisin remained a constant presence around the Naomh Eoin club and astounded all with his relentlessly positive nature. He was in Netwatch Cullen Park in November 2022 to lift the delayed 2021 U-20 B Football Championship Cup and kept stats for the club’s senior teams. Sadly, Oisin passed to his eternal reward on 10 August 2023.
Shortly after his 21st birthday in May 2023 Oisin was hospitalized again and in July of that year made the brave decision to refrain from trying any further treatments and to focus on quality of life and to make the most of the time he had left. He used part of that time to campaign for GAA players around the country to donate blood and coined the phrase, “Every Drop Counts, I Know”.
Brendan Kelly, Oisin’s father, who with the support of Naomh Eoin stalwart Tommy Murphy and Carlow Operations Manager Peter McConnon, pledged to keep Oisin’s ‘Every Drop Counts’ campaign alive, told the audience in the Talbot Hotel last Tuesday night. “One in three of us will need a donation at some point and we are going to need it when we are at our most vulnerable. 67% of the the demand for blood is for cancer treatment and cancer affects one in two families. Every blood donation saves THREE lives” Yet, only 3% of the Irish population donate blood. 3% “Donating is so easy” explains Brendan and that too is the story of the Carlow GAA promotional video featuring Myshall and Carlow hurler, John Michael Nolan, Éire Óg and Carlow footballer Colm Hulton, Palatine’s Dylan Doyle and girls of the gael, ladies footballer Edel Hayden and Camogie star Michelle Nolan. Peter McConnon was high in his praise for another Éire Óg and Carlow footballer Mark Furey who produced the video.
“It is very, rare for the Ard Stiúrthóir and the Uachtarán to attend an event together” revealed Jarlath Burns in the Talbot last Tuesday evening but the presence of both himself and Carlow native Tom Ryan was much appreciated and to have the imprimatur of the Association’s two highest ranking officers gave the ‘Every Drop Counts’ initiative added impetus . “For Brendan, Sinead (Oisin’s parents), Sadhbh and Cian {his sister and brother}, you are leaving through Oisin a tremendously positive legacy” stated Jarlath Burns. “This video is about a simple message, just two simple words – Give Blood.” EVERY DROP COUNTS: As a man who is into figures (keeping stats on players appearances and scoring records) and as a man who donates blood I love the fact that because ‘every drop counts’ the Irish Blood Transfusion Service not only keep a track of each individuals donation but reward milestones along the way, as in a silver pin for 10, a gold pin for 20, a gold-drop lapel pin for 50 and a porcelain pelican for 100. Your scribe didn’t start donating until he was 33 years old yet currently stands at 75 donations and in a race against time to make the century! When I began donating the venue was the Seven Oaks Hotel and before tipping home drank a small bottle of Guinness courtesy of the IBTS (to restore iron levels!) . Now the Talbot Hotel play host to the ‘Blood Crew’ three times a year but the modern practitioners believe more in the power of tea and H20!
In the Summer of 2001, the year the blood substitution was introduced, Carlow were hurling Kerry in Nenagh in the first game of what was to turn into an All-Ireland semi-final trilogy. When Myshall’s John Byrne ran in to take the place of a colleague with a cut on the head he was told by the referee to return to the line, that “the blood rule only applies to senior”. The ‘B’ championship that year, you see, was titled Intermediate and, apparently, intermediate blood was of a safer quality than that of the seniors!
That amusing anecdote was aired outside Gill's pub near Croke Park the day of a big hurling match, prompted by a question which is perfect for our ‘Here's one for you’ slot’ but a poser to which, on this occasion, we will supply the answer a paragraph or two later. The question in question: “name the first hurler to play a senior championship match as a blood substitute?” Right, maybe we’ve given you the first clue, the year involved, 2001? If so you would be searching for the first match of that years championship and with Leinster staging preliminary rounds on April 15, the answer might be found in the Carlow v Westmeath clash in then then Dr Cullen Park or the Kildare v Wicklow match in Pearse Park, Arklow.
We consulted our ‘Flagship Hurlers’ archive which confirmed our recollection that Paddy Coady entered the fray for Carlow that day as a temporary blood replacement for James Hickey. No report of the game in Arklow made any mention of a temporary substitute. So our own Paddy Coady, a first cousin of St Mullins namesake Pat Coady, is, it would appear, guaranteed a place forever in the hurling history books.
Or is he?! In the best traditions of questions asked in a public house setting, there is a trick, a sting in the tail, or, more precisely, the tale? Right, the question again: “name the first hurler to play a senior championship match as a blood substitute?” Well, turns out you have to track back to midsummers day 1970, to Nowlan Park in Kilkenny, a day Wexford hammered Dublin in the Leinster semi-final, a day that introduced as a substitute for the Sky Blues was ... wait for it ... Liam ... Blood!
A Blood substitute!
The canny Dub who posed the teaser was delighted with himself, “hah, hah codded all ye culchie hurlers!” as, again consistent with the tradition of crooked pub arguments, there was no way, at the time, of proving whether his answer would stand up to scrutiny. However, subsequent research revealed that, yes indeed, Liam Blood of Scoil Ui Chonaill came on for centre half forward Eugene Davy in that Provincial semi-final. To add further to our Dublin friends sorcery that was one of only two competitive games the said Liam hurled for Dublin and his only one as a substitute.
