Sean McCashin RIP

Sunday 19th November 2023

Coiste Chontae an Dúin and the family that is Down GAA are in mourning today as we learned of the sudden death of our esteemed friend and colleague Sean McCashin. Sean was our Ulster Council Delegate, PRO of the East Down Committee,  he was a Referee and he was the assistant secretary of the Down County Committee of the LGFA. Most Important though he was husband to Annette and a much loved father, grandfather and brother. To his wife and family we offer our deepest and heartfelt sympathy.

Seán McCashin was one of those people who just wanted to serve the GAA to the very best of his abilities, for him Ballykinlar and Down were his outlet in life and he wanted only to be involved, no task was ever too small for Seán, and once asked to take on any role or responsibility, you could be sure that Sean would deliver.  We are lucky that there are people who only want to give their all for our Association and Sean McCashin was one such person, he gave of his time willingly to any task and in doing so he helped make a difference for those whom he encountered.

Seán's first love was Ballykinlar and it was here where he continued the family link with the GAA, as a player and as an administrator, as a Team Selector when the Club won the Junior Championship in 1995 and as a scór competitor when to ensure participation by the Club he featured in a two person novelty act with his good friend James Magennis. Serving his Club in nearly every role possible, Sean strove to ensure that in dark days the Club would still remain in existence, he genuinely cared and it was his hope too that in the not too distant future the Club would once again field in its own right.

Having served as an Administrator with his Club, it was only natural that Seán would then gravitate towards the East Down Committee and it was his proud achievement that he held every post possible on the East Down Committee, he was currently the PRO of the Committee, having in the past held every Officership, including Runai for many years before the five year rule was introduced. As the time of the Divisional Committees comes now to an end, Seán McCashin was to the fore in recent weeks ensuring that the Clubs received a dividend back from the East Down Committee. Sean McCashin was the man most identified with East Down, he championed the cause of East Down and its feeder Clubs and he worked tirelessly to ensure the betterment of Gaelic Games across the East of the County.

At County level, Sean represented East Down on County Committee and also served as County Youth Officer for a period, before becoming Down delegate to Ulster Council alongside Seán Rooney, indeed on Friday evening past Sean was acting as a member of an Ulster Hearings Committee, hearing a case online and sharing with the committee his many years of experience, and at all times wanting to ensure fairness. Sean served too on County Sub Committees and was always willing to assist at events, always willing to assist with a presentation or to take on any role that needed to be filled. You see Seán McCashin was one of those people who made things happen, in the past week he gave of his time to assist the pupils of St Patricks Grammar School in their organisation of the Year 8 Blitz, by being available to Referee, Seán recruited other referees to help him and the Blitz was a great success, for when Seán asked you to do something it was impossible to say no.

Seán had taken up refereeing in recent years and he was really enjoying the role, he enjoyed the craic with players and mentors, and at Underage games he loved the opportunity to encourage young players and for him as a referee, he was only the facilitator to let two teams play football, he would have gone at short notice to a venue, even when it might not have suited, because he did not want to disappoint thirty young boys or girls who might not get a game if no referee was there.

Seán McCashin loved Down GAA and its teams, he followed the footballers and the hurlers and he was one of the first people you would meet at a venue anywhere in Ireland, he had also filled the role of driver for County Minor Squads and always ensuring that the young players in his care were dropped back to the door and witing to be sure that they got in the door. Seán had a word for everyone and in terms of Integration, he was ahead of his time,  for he held roles on the two County Boards, his Ulster Council role on County Committee as well as being the Assistant Secretary of the Ladies County Committee, for in truth Sean just want to serve, he loved the GAA and all its facets and he just simply wanted to be involved.

We in Down GAA, will miss him, we were lucky to have had him in our ranks and we know that he made a difference to many in the simple things that he did, for Seán McCashin it was never about the plaudits, it was about doing the wee things and doing them right, helping someone on the way and having the craic with people that he met in the world that he loved, the world of the GAA. We say Thank You for Sean McCashin and the role that he played within our Association, we are the better for having had him amongst us.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam