Limerick's Sean Óg remembered by London Exiles

A YEARLY tradition to honour one of the members of Limerick's first ever MacCarthy Cup winning team has taken place in London.

Members of the Limerick Exiles Association, which exists to support Shannonsider ex-pats in the British capital, travelled to Kensal Rise cemetery in North London at Christmas.

There, they laid a wreath at the graveside of Sean Óg Hanley.

Born in 1887 in Ballyroe Lower, Kilfinane, Sean Óg played all over the hurling pitch before settling as an outstanding centre-back.

He was part of Limerick's first All-Ireland winning panel in 1897 before two years later moving to Dublin and later London.

It was here he became part of a very successful Exiles team in the early 1900s.

After nearly 15 years in Britain, Sean Óg succumbed to consumption and died on August 24, 1915.

He was aged just 38.

Initially he was laid to rest in an unmarked grave, but in 1958, the former Limerick Association raised money to erect a permanent headstone to remember the hurler.

And every year since then, the Limerick Exiles have visited the grave to ensure it is kept in good condition and remember Sean Óg.

At Christmas just gone, Exiles’ President Con Dee, who hails from Murroe, and Chairman Con Kelly, originally of Tournafulla, both braved inclement weather conditions to make sure the appointment was faithfully kept.