A Co Armagh camogie club is organising an underage memorial competition in memory of a mother-of-four – and treasured member – who tragically lost her life in a road traffic collision last year.
St Joseph’s in Madden will host the inaugural Ciara McElvanna Memorial Tournament on Saturday, September 21 in memory of their close friend who had “such a zest for life”.
Ciara lost her life, alongside friends Patrick and Ciera Grimley, following a collision on the Gosford Road in the early hours of Saturday, November 4.
The Club’s chairperson, Paula Grimley, said they wanted to do something to remember Ciara.
“Ciara got involved in our club when her girls were small; her oldest is now 14. She got stuck in and started helping out at training and matches.
“She would have told you herself that she had no camogie background whatsoever but that was just the sort of girl she was, she just wanted to help.
“Then, over the years, she got involved in the committee and, of course, with that, you get involved in a whole lot of things. She ended up as assistant treasurer for a couple of years. She was just the sort of girl where no job was too big.
“But that’s how she was. Just one of those people who came into our community and then she just stepped up to the plate.
“Everything Ciara did was done with a smile on her face; she just wanted to help everybody. So what we wanted to do, when we decided to do something, we wanted it to be with children, because she just had such a zest for life.”
The tournament will consist of nine teams from Co Armagh, local to the mid-Armagh area, as well as Derrymacash. A team from Kilrea will also take part – a close friend of Ciara is connected to that club with young girls herself.
“We wanted Kevin and the children involved in all the decisions we made,” said Paula.
“We wanted it to be under 14, because it’s a kind of competitive age, but they’re still children, and we thought it’d be nice for her own two girls to be playing. We ran that by Kevin and the girls first, and they were more than keen, so that’s why we went with under 14.”
The support from the Madden community, as expected, has been fantastic. Everyone is looking to chip in and lend a hand, in whatever way they can.
“The amount of messages that I’ve had myself from people asking what they can do… we can really see the interest from the Madden community looking to help, everyone is pulling together,” added Paula. “That was evident from the whole wake and funeral situation with three people so closely attached to the community losing their lives.
“Patrick Grimley was massive in our football club, and just the shock of it, especially for all the children, you just want their children to know how special they were, to the football and camogie clubs, and, of course, the whole community.”
Ciara’s children have elected for the Children’s Heartbeat Trust as their chosen charity, as well as the trophy which will be presented on the day.
“It’s lovely, but it’s tough, for Ciara’s two oldest girls playing on the day,” said Paula.
“I think it’s important that we do this for her children, to show them how much we all loved Ciara.”
Paula says the club intend on making this an annual tournament and trust that the committee will continue to make it bigger and better each year.
“We have a good team there that will make sure that that happens. We said that it was important that if we take this on, we have to do this every year and we plan on doing it right every year.
“Ciara was a great girl, she really was. Kevin, and all the children, they’re all very special in our community now and always will be.”
