McAnallen an inspiration to everyone, says President McAleese
Ms McAleese referred to the widespread mourning throughout the country after the death of the 24-year-old sporting star from sudden death syndrome as she highlighted his exemplary life.
“It has been said that he has ‘left behind much, much more than an empty jersey hanging on a peg’,” she said.
As Ms McAleese delivered the inaugural Cormac McAnallen Leadership Lecture at St Catherine’s College in Armagh - the school where the sporting star taught. She paid tribute to his parents Bridget and Brendan McAnallen in the audience. “For Cormac left the gifts of exemplary leadership, of passion for life itself, of discipline, sacrifice and courage, of generosity and service to others,” the President said.
The former teacher who won every honour in the game including minor, U21 and senior All-Irelands, while also picking up an All-Star and representing Ireland in the international rules series against Australia - she called a true leader.
The President said that behind the glittering list of titles and accomplishments lay a story of always putting the team first. “It starts with a vision for the self but it ends up being a vision for community and for country.”
She said Cormac’s life says to each young person that no matter what their circumstances to seek the best in yourself, build on your strengths and confront your weaknesses.
She added: “No alcohol or drug abuse was going to open up a pothole for him to fall into, no self-pity or laziness was going to slow the journey or make him stop short of his true destination, no absence of self-knowledge was going to take him down a cul-de-sac, no peer pressure was going to entice him to betray his values.”
Ms McAleese said that Cormac, before his sudden death in March 2004 after a virus attacked his heart, charted his own path and exercised the moral pull that is the hallmark of every good leader.
“We know his loss was, and is, devastating, for good leaders of his calibre are the utterly essential defenders and champions of a world based on dignity, justice, equality, freedom, human rights,” she said.
During the speech, Ms McAleese referred to Tyrone manager Mickey Harte, who said there were no words that could do justice to the person that Cormac was, but that “if you’re looking for a real role model, then you look no further than Cormac McAnallen.”
Ms McAleese, who told the school she was honoured to deliver the lecture, said that he showed his colossal strength and faith after the horrific aftermath of the Omagh bombing.
On all young lives cut short, including the sudden death of Ireland U19 rugby player John McCall, she said:
“I hope too that each death will have galvanised their friends to use the breath in their bodies, the skills and talents they have, the opportunities life presents to them, to build good lives.”
The Cormac McAnallen Trust has since been set up by the GAA, along with his family, in a bid to provide defibrillators at every sporting ground around the country and to increase awareness of heart conditions.
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