February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
b> By Pierce O’Reilly
Struggling to draw air from an oxygen tank by his side, Charlie Sweeney’s heart was still racing when Donegal played at Gaelic Park one day last month. Sweeney, from the rural parish of Glenvar, west of the Lough Swilly estuary in Donegal, was one of the most devoted Gaels ever to enter Gaelic Park.
"What’s left in the game?" Charlie queried as Tyrone mounted another attack on his loyal county men. I didn’t realize at the time who Charlie was or what he had done, but I knew looking at him he was a passionate GAA fan. A minute later he rested his head on the press box counter and you could almost feel his disappointment as the gap widened between the sides.
"The day didn’t suit us," he said as the final whistle sounded.
Tyrone had won 1-13 to 1-11.
A minute later, a caring relative asked if he’d like to leave before the final game to avoid the rush. Kerry and Cavan, you’d think, wouldn’t keep the Donegal man for another hour. And indeed, as the rain and wind battered at the plastic window in the press box, much younger men took the easier option and headed home.
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But Charlie didn’t stir. "I’m alright here," he said.
You’d swear he knew it was his last trip to Gaelic Park, the hallowed ground that he loved so much. He wanted to get every last drop of action before he departed.
"Terrible day for football," another Gael said as he rubbed his hands together after coming into the warmth of the press box to greet Charlie. But Charlie didn’t respond. Eddie Reilly was lording it around the middle for Cavan and the Donegal man needed all the energy in his body to keep on top of the game.
When the game finished, I said goodbye as Charlie straightened his oxygen tank and wheeled it out of the park. As he walked along the sideline, GAA men wished him well. They didn’t know, either, it was going to be his last day at Gaelic Park.
When he reached the turnstile, Charlie paused, turned toward the field and looked back for the last time. Charlie Sweeney had got his fill for another week.
When the news broke of his untimely death on Sunday, July 15, there was widespread shock and regret. His death has left a void in New York GAA as was evident at his wake and funeral mass in Brooklyn. His last wish was also fulfilled when his body was shipped home to his native soil.
Two weeks at Gaelic Park, there was a moment of silence for Charlie when Donegal and Stamford and the Kerry and Donegal women took to the field.
"This one is for you, Charlie," one of the more established Donegal players said afterward. "Hope you were watching."
If he was, his heart would have been racing again. He loved good forwards, with pace, passion, accuracy and power. Brendan Devanney and Peter Loughran would have kept Charlie Sweeney in conversation for at least another two weeks. His love of football and, in particular Donegal, was immense. He rarely missed a game at Gaelic Park and his enthusiasm for the game inspired others to follow him.
In 1998 the Donegal Club honored him with the Campbell-Houlihan award for his contributions to the club.
"He was such an passionate supporter," Donegal manager Donal Gallagher said this week. "He wasn’t happy with our performance that day against Tyrone and he wasn’t afraid to let us know his feelings on the way out."
Charlie was diagnosed with cancer just over a month ago. After tests and blood samples were taken in a city hospital, he decided he had enough and signed himself out a day later. A life of construction and tunnel work made Charlie Sweeney a hard man.
"If you survived with Charlie, you were a good worker," Gallagher said. "He worked hard and when it was over, he enjoyed himself to the full."