MANY MOONS AGO, Brian Duffy promised a friend in Letterkenny that if his son Shane ever played for Ireland then he’d pass on the jersey.
Martin Orr, a well-known football supporter and musician, was taken aback earlier this year when Duffy – from Ard O’Donnell originally – was true to his word.
Photo caption: Peter Blake and Martin Orr make the presentation of a cheque of €600 that was raised from the auction of Shane Duffy’s Republic of Ireland jersey to Trudy and Sharon O’Donnell at Donegal Hospice
Shane Duffy made his international debut two years ago in Philadelphia in a 1-1 end of season friendly draw between the Republic of Ireland and Costa Rica.
That night, Brian Duffy was “stuck on a laptop in the middle of the night” at home in Glendale Park in Derry.
However, this year on Good Friday, Shane Duffy won his second cap at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin as Martin O’Neill’s side defeated Switzerland and the central defender – who joined Brighton and Hove Albion last week – was named as man of the match. The family was there in full force to see him.
Brian Duffy with his son Shane and wife Siobhain following the Republic of Ireland’s 1-0 win over Switzerland at the Aviva Stadium in March, with the jersey that was eventually auctioned for the Donegal Hospice
He went onto make the final 23-man squad for Euro 2016 and played in Ireland’s 1-0 win over Italy in Lille in June as well as the eventual 2-1 defeat against France in Lyon in the last 16.
Brian Duffy presented his son’s jersey – as promised years beforehand – from that game to Orr, who decided it best to auction for a deserving charity – Donegal Hospice.
Orr’s own brother Patrick and Brian Duffy’s late father Mickey had been incredibly well looked after in their final days by the staff at the Hospice, which is located in Carnamuggagh.
The jersey went for auction on Facebook and when the hammer came down it was Peter Blake who had the winning bid of €600. Blake is a cousin of the Orr family.
[adrotate group=”56″]There was also a charity football match played at Leckview Park last month between the Burma and Glencar that raised over €2,000 for the Hospice.
“I’ve the jersey now and Brian McDaid made a great job of the framing and engraving. It was a really nice touch from Brian and Shane, who got the Irish squad to sign the jersey as well,” said Blake, who owns Peadar Jim’s Property Maintenance in Letterkenny, which has just opened its new premises at the Port Road.
“It’s such a good cause – the Donegal Hospice – so it was great that we could help out in any way.”
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