'This embodies what the GAA is supposed to be about' - Joe Brolly joins host of stars for brilliant cause
Ger Keville ·
The trophies have been dished out, the teams of the year selected and the celebrations have ran their course following another year of GAA Championship action.
But some of the biggest names from all over the country will gather tonight for another bumper event, another battle with a lot more at stake.
Brolly, Ó Sé, Fitzgerald, Duignan. Just some of the household names that will gather in Two Mile House in Kildare to lend their support for a key date in the GAA calendar - a benefit night for Adam Burke.
Burke scored 2-2 in the 2014 All-Ireland Junior club final as Two Mile House became the first team from Kildare to win an All-Ireland club title. Tragically, Burke suffered a stroke in July 2016 at the age of 20 following an injury in a club match, but he is making great strides in his recovery.
The cost of Adam’s future rehabilitation including Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech & Language is estimated at €1m and a GoFundMe page has been set up to help achieve this target with over €60k already raised. You can donate here.
First up, at 4pm, over 2,000 people will take part in a Run for Adam with a Barbecue, music and a celebrity GAA panel hosted by Marty Morrissey and featuring Davy Fitzgerald, Joe Brolly, Michael Duignan and Tomás Ó Sé later this evening.
For Brolly, these occasions make the GAA the unique organisation it is.
"To me it's a privilege to be asked by clubs all over the country to events like this because it embodies what the GAA is supposed to be, rallying around someone who is in trouble," said Brolly on RTE Radio today.
"People see a bit of it in themselves. People are very, very good at adversity. Human beings are the ultimate survivors.
You look at Mark McGovern in 2011, he was in a coma for months. It was thought initially he wouldn't survive but slowly but surely over he last six years he has got better and better.
"One of my greatest pleasures now is on All Ireland final morning, he is the custodian of the Sam Maguire Cup and he always brings it into the RTE studio.
"Each year, to see his progress, I mean a week-and-a-half ago he was perfect, you would never know that he had been so catastrophically injured. The hope will be that is exactly what will happen to Adam."
During the summer Wexford manager Davy Fitzgerald and RTE pundit Michael Duignan became embroiled in a bitter war of words over Davy's tactical appraoch.
Both men will put their differences to one side for a brilliant cause when they share the same stage tonight.
"Some of my favourite guys will be there," added Brolly.
"Michael Duignan is the bell really for the GAA, fantastic fella. This is what the GAA, for me anyway, is about, people giving of their time for something bigger than themselves and what better cause than for a kid like this who is in the middle of a gruelling rehabilitation and giving it all his best shot."