This is a story that has somehow passed us by at the Saffron Gael but it would be wrong not to record such a heroic deed.
Last week four young Cushendall hurlers became heroes after saving two young children who were struggling in the sea at Whitepark Bay, near Ballintoy.
Minor players from the Ruairi Og Cushendall club in Co Antrim spotted two kids, a boy and girl, struggling to swim, and raced to their rescue after seeing that their father was attempting to help them.
Shane McKenna and Niall Óg McGuigan ran to assist the young boy while Josh Schnell and Michael Quinn helped the father and his daughter safely to shore.
The Antrim club have paid tribute to the youths and the minor management decided to honour the players as a token of respect. Juvenile Chairperson of Ruairí Óg Adrian McNaughton said, “These four young men have shown incredible bravery and we are so proud of them. We live in a beautiful coastal community where we all look out for one another.
Well done to them all. The boys may prove heroes on the hurling field over the next few years but nothing they do will ever come close to their brave actions that helped prevent what could have been a tragedy.
The Ruairi Og club paid tribute to the boys on their twitter page
A Minor Recognition – Ruairi Og GAC
Not all heroes wear capes
Some wear face guards and helmets.
A few days ago, four minor Ruairí Óg hurlers by the names of Michael, Josh, Shane and Niall Óg saw two young children struggling to swim in the sea. Their father was trying to rescue his children, however he could not swim and was struggling himself. Upon seeing this, the four young men prioritised the children’s safety over their own and rushed straight into the sea to help them. The bravery shown was phenomenal. Jack and the minor management from Cushendall agreed that this deserved some sort of recognition. So Jack and the minor management have decided to donate each lad a hurling stick, a slíotar and a hurling grip. This is only but a small token of the appreciation and pride we have for the admirable actions of four outstanding young members of our community.
Some good deeds go unnoticed.
But we value our local heroes.
Hurl away lads! 👏🏼
Ruairí Óg Abú!