Two Kilkenny soccer stalwarts remembered

Callan United recently lost two wonderful club servants. Club PRO Charlie Purtill has written the following piece which is dedicated to Pixie Doheny and Ray Kearney, both of whom were very active in Callan United for many years.

Monday, November 6 was a sad day for Callan United and the whole town as Ray Kearney and Pixie Doheny went to their eternal rest on the same day.

Both Pixie and Ray put in many hours of unseen work at the club. Ray spent most of his life involved in the club and served as chairman in the early Nineties. He will be remembered mostly for his second term as chairman which began in 2011. The high point in Ray’s time as chairman came in 2012 when Callan United bridged a 40-year gap by winning the McCalmont Cup with Ray’s son Peter as manager.

Pixie got involved in Callan United as a coach to get her children Josh and Courtney involved in sports. Along with her good friend Kathy Fitzgerald they took to coaching youngsters in the club. Pixie kept on coaching after the untimely passing of Kathy but it wasn’t long before Pixie, along with her husband Terry joined the Callan United committee with Pixie serving as treasurer and Terry serving as registrar. This was also 2011 and along with Ray Kearney as chairman took to making the club something Callan could be proud of.

Both Ray and Pixie were larger than life characters so I’m sure they didn’t always agree but both were always focused on what was best for Callan United - this made them a great team. I’m sure they are somewhere now up above reminiscing over the 2012 McCalmont Cup win.

However sad everyone in Callan United are, the true hurt lies with both families and I speak for everyone in Callan United when I say the club is here to support and comfort them in any way possible. Both families should take great pride in the legacy they left behind in our club and they will always be remembered fondly. May they both rest in peace.