11/04/2024
A dark cloud has descended over our area and wider community with the passing of our founding member Ciarán Finn , a man who was simply our local hero and a friend to all . Ciarán , along with his wife Yvonne , were founding members of Ashbourne Community Games when we reformed in 2006. Ciarán’s sense of community was simply unmatched , and his passing is mourned far and wide . When the news broke on St. Patrick’s Day that Ciarán was very unwell , the outpouring of goodwill , concern and support was astounding .
Ciarán was the Station Officer in Ashbourne Fire Station , a role he loved and took immense pride in . A qualified engineer , Ciarán loved learning and education , and loved to train and share his knowledge and learning . Thanks to Ciarán’s logical and logistical reasoning and mathematical ability , our annual Athletics Days in St. Andrew’s Athletics Club would be ran off with military precision year after year .
Ciarán was on the Board of Management of Gaelscoil na Cille for three terms . During these twelve years , Ciarán co-founded the Chess and Draughts Club in Gaelscoil na Cille ( Cumann Táiplíse agus Fichille). Our Chess and Draughts Club enjoyed tremendous success over the years , leading Ashbourne to win seven Community Games All Ireland Draughts titles , and come second twice , winning silver . Ashbourne also reached the All Ireland finals twice in Chess , coming second once . The Gaelscoil na Cille School Draughts team won two All Ireland Primary School titles , and who else but Ciarán drove the teams all the way to Limerick and back?! Being a member of Ashbourne Lions Club , Ciarán borrowed the Lions Club bus for our journeys ( a man of many talents , Ciarán also had a licence to drive a bus ). He was completely dedicated to our Ashbourne Draughts teams , getting great enjoyment celebrating our All Ireland successes .
This pales into insignificance though when compared with his devotion and love for his beloved wife Yvonne , children Onóra , Cianán , Darragh and Aoife . They meant everything to Ciarán and what a job he did in providing for and nurturing them all his life . Ciarán’s life was a life well lived and we are all heartbroken that he is gone .
We extend our deepest condolences to Yvonne , Onóra , Cianán , Darragh and Aoife , and to Ciarán’s parents Teresa and Bob , his mother and father in law Moyra and Luke McGuinness , and to the wider Finn and McGuinness families .
We grieve with them and we are here for them , as Ciarán was there for us over so many years . We have lost a local hero but Ciarán will never be forgotten .
Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann . Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
