Late Limerick boxer a friend and inspiration to those who knew him

“Every young lad in Limerick looked up to Kevin.”

These are the words of Kevin Sheehy’s soccer coach, who among countless others, has been left devastated by the tragic passing of the young Olympic hopeful. 

Touching tributes have been paid by those who knew the 20-year-old Limerick heavyweight boxing champion, who has been described as “Limerick’s champ” by friends. 

A relative of Kevin said: “I am heartbroken, our family will never be the same. You made each and every one of us so proud.”

This Wednesday morning, a man in his 20s appeared at Limerick District Court, charged with Kevin’s murder. 

Logan Jackson, 29, of Longford Road, Coventry, England, appeared before Judge Marian O'Leary during a brief hearing that lasted approximately two minutes. 

Detective Garda Pat Whelan, of Roxboro Road garda station, said that the accused was arrested at 8.21am on Tuesday, and was charged with Kevin Sheehy's murder at 8.36pm. He made no reply to the caution. 

Judge O'Leary remanded the accused in custody until next Tuesday.  

Bereft at the immense loss, those who knew Kevin have come together in solidarity and support, sharing their tributes and condolences to Kevin’s family. 

Thousands have paid tribute to the heavyweight champion via a social media campaign, sharing blue emoji hearts on various channels to commemorate the talented athlete. 

Kevin’s father Kevin Senior has said: “Kevin was me and Tracey’s only son. He was an amazing son and I only recently told him before his last fight of how proud I was of the young man that he had become. 

“He loved boxing and he had a bright future ahead of him with a baby girl with Emma due in August. He was genuinely loved by everyone he knew and touched all our lives,” he told The Irish Daily Star. 

Meanwhile, CBS Primary School Limerick, attended by Kevin as a child, remember Kevin as  “a lovely, mannerly, kind pupil who was well liked by all.”

Kevin recently visited the school and gave a talk and boxing demonstration to the pupils, with the school saying in tribute: “He was a great role model and ambassador for the pupils and encouraged them to always do their best. He was so nice to them all and made time for each pupil individually. 

“His dedication and hard work was an inspiration to all of us. His passing will be keenly felt throughout our school community and it is a tribute to Kevin how uniformly the entire staff are devastated by this tragic news.”

The five-time Irish champion was a member of St Francis Boxing Club in Limerick, which opened up its doors on Tuesday night to members to “chat about this tragedy or just be around others that are feeling the same loss.”

In a Facebook post, the club stated that Monday was “one of the toughest days ever in the history of the club.”

Kevin’s coach at St Francis and close friend Ken Moore revealed the last conversation he had with the talented boxer just two days prior to his murder. 

The two discussed entering next year's Olympic Games, with Kevin telling his coach: “I’m good enough, I’m strong enough. Why the hell not?”

Ken told the Limerick Leader: “This was a young boy with a huge future who had worked so hard his whole life to stay on the good side of the tracks you know?”

“Whoever did it, they’re not just after robbing Kevin’s family, who are obviously very devastated, [they have robbed] Limerick and the world of a really good guy.”

Kevin, who began boxing in 2012 aged just 13, had previously stated that Ken was the most influential person he knew. 

Members of the boxing community, both amateur and professional, have also shared their condolences to Kevin’s family, including Andy Lee and Kell Brook. 

Irish-Boxing.com, who interviewed Kevin on a number of occasions, describe the boxer as “painfully shy” and “softly spoken”. 

“We have lost a giant of a man,” they stated in a tribute posted on the website. 

The active young man, who would have celebrated his 21st birthday this September, was an all-round sports fanatic, and recently took part in the Great Limerick Run, as pictured above.  

The athlete also took part in rugby and soccer, and played underage rugby for Richmond RFC, who paid tribute to Kevin in a Facebook post which reads: “We would like to offer our deepest condolences to Kevin Sheehy’s family, friends and all his team mates at St Francis Boxing Club on his tragic passing.”

Kevin played soccer with Granville Rangers between the ages of 14 and 18, with coach Derek Walsh saying: “There wasn’t a bad bone in his body. I’ve been coaching 17 years, and he’s one of the nicest lads I’ve ever dealt with.”

“He was a good lad. A genuine, well-mannered boy - always was.”