The mother of a young Banbridge GAA player has told of the family’s heartbreak after the sudden loss of her much-loved son, whom she described as having the “brightest smile”.
Taylor Hill, of Rowanvale, passed away in hospital on Saturday morning.
A talented senior player with Clann na Banna, it has also paid its own tributes and offered its condolences to a family intrinsically linked with the ‘red and black’ of the Banbridge-based club.
A son of Anna and Rory, it was Taylor’s mother who confirmed the tragic news later on Saturday afternoon.
Saying she was “absolutely heart broken”, Mrs Hill, posting on social media, wrote: “I am so proud to be his mum. He never knew how fully loved he was by so many.
“He had it all – smart, funny, hard working and a super skilled footballer, very handsome with the brightest smile.
“We will treasure the amazing memories of him forever. Taylor you will forever be in our hearts and mostly certainly never be forgotten.”
Clann na Banna has suspended all club activities after learning of the passing of “our Taylor”.
In an in-depth and emotional summation of Taylor and his family’s influence on the Co Down club, a statement said they learned of the news with “profound sadness and the heaviest of hearts”, describing the young man as a “much-loved senior player and clubman”.
The club wrote: “It is difficult to find words that could adequately express what Taylor and his family mean to our club.
“Taylor was a valued member of our Senior Men’s team, a teammate and a friend, and a kind and much loved young man who was so well thought of by everyone who knew him. We feel incredibly fortunate to have had him as part of the Clann.
“Taylor likely first entered Cottage Park as a baby, watching his legendary father Rory line out for our senior team. Before long, he was pulling on the red and black himself, beginning with our Under 6s and progressing through every age group, often under the stewardship of his Granda Geordie or Dad Rory, before breaking into senior football while still a minor just four years ago.
“Throughout those years, Taylor was part of some very special teams and some memorable days for the Clann. Success followed him through his playing career. He won Tommy Bradley Shields and Under 12 league titles before helping our Under 14s to county Féile success and going on to represent Clann na Banna at the All-Ireland Féile in both 2017 and 2018. In 2017, that journey took Taylor and his teammates all the way to an All-Ireland Féile final, where they narrowly missed out on the title.
“At Under 16 level, Taylor was a vital part of the side that brought a Division 1 title back to Cottage Park for the first time in 20 years. He later added a county Under 20 title, in the same year that he made the step up to senior football.
“Taylor was everything you could ask for in a young footballer — hardworking, quiet and unassuming, and always willing to listen, learn and improve. But beneath that quiet nature was a fierce competitor. He played with a determination that meant you certainly didn’t want to find yourself on the wrong side of him on the pitch. If you were going into battle, Taylor was exactly the man you wanted beside you.
“Over the past four years, he established himself as an important member of our senior team and shared in some of the club’s biggest days, playing a vital role our run to the Intermediate Championship final in 2024. It is particularly poignant that, only last Monday, Taylor was once again out on the field with his teammates, playing his part in the victory over Ballyholland that secured Division 2 football for the Clann in 2027.
“It is impossible to put into words what Taylor has meant to Clann na Banna. He wasn’t simply a talented footballer; he was one of our own, a young man who had grown up through every level of our club and who had become such an important part of our senior team and our wider club family.
“The McGrath and Hill families are woven into every part of the fabric of Clann na Banna, across generations.
“Taylor’s granda, Geordie Hill, gave many years to the club as a coach. His dad Rory is a Clann senior team legend, having given many years of service on the pitch, and continues to give so much to the club as our Treasurer, an underage coach and a Dads & Lads player. His mum Anna is a valued member of the club and one of our G4M&O players.
“Taylor’s younger brothers, Cathal, Conál and Ollie, are all underage players, growing up in the same red and black that has meant so much to their family.
“They are not simply members of our club community. They are part of the very heart of the Clann.
“Our hearts are with Rory and Anna, Cathal, Conál and Ollie, his grandparents Patricia and Kenny McGrath, Geordie and Geraldine Hill, all his aunts, uncles and cousins, the entire McGrath and Hill families, Taylor’s teammates and friends, and everyone who was fortunate enough to know and love him.
“At times like this, football becomes completely insignificant and what matters is being there for one another. In the days, weeks and months ahead, we ask our members to keep Taylor’s family close, to look after his teammates and friends, and above all, to look after each other.
“Taylor was deeply loved, and he will always have his place in the story of our club.
“Rest easy, Taylor. Always one of our own.
“Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.”
Banbridge Town FC has also remembered Taylor through his involvement with the club at junior level.
“A member of our successful 2004 age group, Taylor was a talented and much loved player, coming from a great sporting family, some of whom are still involved with the club today,” it said.
“Taylor will be sorely missed by all who knew him. Our thoughts and condolences are with the Hill and McGrath family circle at this incredibly difficult time.”
Funeral arrangements have yet to be finalised.
In a death notice, Taylor is described as the “treasured son of Anna and Rory, adored brother of Cathal, Conál and Ollie also a cherished grandson of Kenny and Patricia McGrath and George and Geraldine Hill”.
Family flowers only have been requested, but donations can be made for the benefit of the Intensive Care Unit, Craigavon Area Hospital via www.milnefuneralservices.co.uk/donate.
