James has been a breath of fresh air to our club. He was full of life, enthusiasm and passion. Never one to shy away from a task or a challenge – he would do anything to better our club and everyone in it. The amount of work he has put into Tír na nÓg has been immense. 

On a personal level, I saw James first hand on the coaching side of teams at adult level during the 2019 U21 football campaign. James, Dessie, Sean-Paul and I said we would help out but I wasn’t sure which of us was going to take the lead on the coaching side of things. The first training session was on a Friday night at 9PM in our indoor hall with a crowd of lively lads. James jumped straight into the session and gained instant respect from all players and the rest of the management team. His approach to coaching and how he treated everyone enabled him to get the best out of everyone. Not only were the players playing for the club but there was a real sense they were also playing for James himself. No stone was left unturned in the planning and preparation. This ended in us reaching the final of the A championship. James then got stuck into the coaching of both hurling and football senior teams. This ultimately led to James helping to guide us to the first ever Intermeidate hurling championship in our club’s history. This achievement and James’ legacy will never be forgotten. 

James – a larger than life character that loved GAA and loved people. He has clearly touched the hearts and minds of so many people and will leave a massive gap in our club. Slán a chara – Rest in peace James.