Glenavy GAC held a ‘Big Breakfast’ fund raiser for the Kevin Bell Repatriation Fund in St. Clare’s Hall Glenavy on Sunday on behalf of the Bradley family whose son Mathew died in a hit and run incident in Liverpool on 3rd November last year. Over four hundred people attended the event in St. Clare’s hall and Mathew’s three sisters, Clare, Roisin and Megan welcomed people on behalf of their parents, Donal and Margaret. Having such a large turnout was testimony to the high regard Mathew was held within the Glenavy Community and to the support provided by the Kevin Bell Repatriation Fund.

Mathew had played Gaelic football for Glenavy from U.10 through to Minor and was a keen follower of GAA. He was a very popular and well known young man in Glenavy and in many other parts of the country, where he was known for his high quality workmanship, whilst working with his father Donal in Cornerstone Paving. As a talented landscape gardener, he moved to England, where he won a gold medal as part of the Surrey based Landform team, at the prestigious Chelsea Flower show.

The Kevin Bell Repatriation Fund were of great support and assistance to the Bradley family at the time of Mathew’s death and continue to provide support to those families who are met with the hardship of repatriating the bodies of loved ones who have died suddenly abroad in sudden or tragic circumstances, back to Ireland. The money raised today will no doubt help other families faced with similar circumstances.

St. Joseph’s GAC would like to thank everyone who supported the event and a special thank you to all the volunteers who worked hard to make the breakfast the success that it was.