[image alt="Brendan Reilly 11/6/2000" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2017/09/brendan-reilly-1162000-296x386.jpg" width="296" height="386" credit-source="Andrew%20Paton%2FINPHO" caption="Brendan%20Reilly%20" class="alignnone" /end]
TRIBUTES HAVE BEEN paid following the death of a Louth gaelic footballer this weekend.
Club player and former inter-county player Brendan Reilly (38) died suddenly after playing a match on Saturday morning.
Brendan Reilly began his football career at the John Mitchel’s GAA club, where he played at juvenile level. He later moved on to play with the club’s adult team.
In 1998, alongside his brothers Shane, Alan and Barry, Brendan lined out at centre halfback for the team to take the Christy Bellew Cup back to their community for the second time.
The Reilly family have a longstanding association with John Mitchel’s, his late father Eugene Reilly being one of the founding club members.
“Our community and area have been shocked and saddened by the tragic and sudden passing at such a young age,” a post from the GAA club said on Facebook.
We would like to extend our sympathies and support to Brendan’s wife and children, his mother Kathleen and all his family at this very said time.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Louth GAA county board chairman Des Halpenny said:
“The Louth GAA family and the local community, the Monasterboice and Ballybailie areas were very shocked and saddened to learn of Brendan’s untimely passing on Saturday evening.
On a personal level, I would like to take the opportunity to extend my sincere sympathy and support to Brendan’s family and friends at this sad time.
Brendan Reilly’s displays at club level led him on to play for the county minor, under-21 and senior Louth teams for a number of years.
In 2008, he made the move to Naomh Mairtin, where he continued to play at the top level for their senior team.
On Saturday, Reilly played his final game for the club, in their Cardinal O’Donnell semi-final win.
In a statement, Louth GAA offered their condolences:
Louth GAA were saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Brendan Reilly.
[We] wish to extend our sincerest sympathies and condolences to his family and friends at this sad time.
“Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.”
GAA clubs around the country took to social media over the weekend to pay respect to Brendan Reilly.
https://twitter.com/onceaclan/status/909167129047560193
https://twitter.com/DowdallshillGAA/status/909183808171331584
https://twitter.com/SOMLouth/status/909164166082113536
https://twitter.com/dundalkgaels/status/909166566138433536
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