City’s Finnan clan set to cheer on family hero

LIVERPOOL’S newest fan has arrived in Limerick just in time for her cousin Steve Finnan’s big night.

But little Lily May Ryan won’t make it to a Finnan gathering at the Spotted Dog pub in Janesboro as the Southill-born player bids for European Champions League glory tonight.

The pub roar if Finnan collects his second Champions League winners’ medal might be too much for Lily May who is just four days old.

Steve Finnan took his first steps in Southill. His uncles, aunts and cousins, who all live in Limerick, will gather at the Spotted Dog to cheer on the family hero.

The newest member of the Finnan clan, Lily May was born last Saturday at Limerick Regional Maternity Hospital weighing in at just under 6lb.

Her mum, Winnie Ryan, a first cousin of Steve’s said: “Lily May arrived a few weeks premature. She must have known cousin Steve’s big night was imminent.”

Winnie’s dad Pat Finnan, who lives in Southill, said: “Steve’s dad — my brother Oliver and his wife Linda — lived here in Southill in the 1970s when Steve was born. He took his first steps here in Southill as a toddler. Linda is from London and the family moved there when Steve was about three.”

Mr Finnan said Steve sends signed jerseys to his son Dean who at 16 is a good soccer prospect.

Pat said: “Dean is taking after his first cousin and is a very promising player with Granville and he is getting a trial with Limerick.”

Steve’s other Limerick uncles, Martin and John, along with aunts, Patsy O’Dwyer and Mary Kirwin, will also form a family reunion tonight to cheer on Liverpool.

“Steve has two other brothers Seán and Tony who, like him, came up through the Crystal Palace youth system. They were fine players but just didn’t get the breaks. Oliver used to say that he would have not one but three sons playing for Ireland,” the uncle said.

Southill parish priest Fr Pat Hogan said it was great to see a former Southill boy go right to top in football.

“He should be a role model for the kids around here and I’d love to welcome him back to Southill — hopefully with another winner’s medal during the summer when he has a rest from the football season. It would be great to welcome back a home-grown football hero. It would give the whole place a lift,” he said.