Kieran
Reflections of a friend
In Autumn 1999, I was in my first term at the newly inaugurated (no longer operating) Irish Christian Training Centre (ICTC) based in Galway City, Ireland. It was during that term that Kieran walked through the doors of the Christian community of which I was a part. The vibrancy that I witnessed then remained with him throughout the time I knew him.
He had come to Galway from University College Dublin (UCD) to complete his placement year within his degree which I recall as Horticulture and Landscape Gardening.
He formed friendships with students like me at ICTC, University College Galway (UCG) and young adults within the Christian community.
At a Freshers’ Fayre at UCD, he encountered a group that awakened his connection to God through Jesus Christ. Once he was connected to the Spirit of God he sought to live as moved by the Holy Spirit.
In a few years, he would be working with Youth With a Misson (YWAM) in Dublin. It was through YWAM that he met his wife. If I recall, they married in the summer of 1994. I should recall as I travelled back from England to Dublin as he had asked me to be his best man. That was an honour for me as it confirmed the depth of our friendship.
Kieran by just being Kieran had a huge healing effect on me. While I had come from a Northern Irish Protestant Loyalist community he had come from an Irish Catholic community. The healing was mine as Kieran didn’t require healing from sectarianism. My encounter with Jesus at 17 had helped me see beyond religious identity, my friendship with Kieran and those like him demonstrated the power of Christ to reconcile.
A few years after marriage Kieran and his wife relocated to Altensteig, Germany. It was here they remained as they set up home and their sons were born.
It has been probably 24 years since I have seen Kieran. The photo above is from that visit. Prior to that, Kieran stayed with us at London Colney while attending the Football Association (FA) Cup Finals of 1998 and 1999.
Initially, our contact was maintained by letter although we moved to other forms of communication as email emerged later followed by social media.
My last conversation with him was about his and his wife’s trip to Israel / Palestine in September. This seemed to fulfil a lifetime ambition.
As I end a memory comes from 1990 when I was in Portugal. I met a group of young women from Ireland in Lisbon. In the course of the conversation, one of them said to me, “You remind me of a guy I know in Dublin” I enquired as to his name and she said “Kieran”.
While death brings an end to the earthly life, Kieran had hope in Jesus and his promise of life everlasting.
The pain of loss is now that of those close to him to whom Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn they shall be comforted”
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Kieran’s funeral will take place on Saturday 30th December 2023, in Altensteig, Germany
