Hammy and his singing teddy bear are ready to roar for Limerick
THERE are hundreds of die-hard Limerick fans across the county but perhaps none quite as dedicated as Kenneth ‘Hammy’ Dawson.
A native of Garryowen, Kenneth has been a lifelong member of St Patrick's GAA club in Rhebogue and holds the position of vice-chairman.
The 48 year-old has been a fan of the Limerick hurlers since a child and as a season ticket holder he has attended hundreds upon hundreds of matches in his lifetime.
He holds the unique record of having visited every hurling ground in Antrim, having traveled there for multiple league and championship matches over the years.
He travels to the matches with clubmates from St Patrick's GAA club as well as a very special teddy bear, appropriately named Liam MacCarthy.
“He is our mascot. He sings ‘Limerick You're a Lady’ when you press his hand.
“He comes with us to all the matches,” said Kenneth.
The hurling-mad man was in Dublin for Limerick's unsuccessful attempts at All-Ireland glory in 1994, 1996 and 2007.
However, his trips to Croker didn't always end in heartbreak as Kenneth was in Croke Park in 2018 when the boys in green won their first All-Ireland title in 45 years.
He said the day was full of “emotion and joy”.
“I sat in my seat in the Hogan Stand until 7:15pm until the stewards eventually moved me.
“I just wanted to soak it all up. After all the madness calmed down we wanted to sit there and take it all in.
“After waiting 45 years for it, we didn't know if it would be 45 years until the next one.
“It was exciting and emotional, there were a lot of tears on that day to be honest”.
The dedicated fan cheered on the team during Covid-19 restrictions, making sure they had support even without crowds in the stadium.
“I went to the stadium in Galway with a flag and I cheered for them when they got off the bus.
“I just wanted to show my support. I watched the match through a gate.
“Then I climbed up on a wall and a steward told me to get down or they would call the guards.
“I said ‘Call away, I'm not getting down’”.
Kenneth also traveled to Thurles to see the team play Clare in the Munster Championship but there was no gate for him to look in that time!
When asked if the boys could make it four-in-a-row, Kenneth said with certainty: “Definitely”.
“They have the players and the management. I am very confident in them”.