‘Adam was a free spirit’ Beautiful tribute to Adam Kirwan in match day programme

Adam Kirwan passed away recently following single vehicle road traffic incident in Thurles.

The young hurler was a student at Mary Immaculate College in Thurles and lined out for the college hurling team at midfield in the recent Ryan Cup final.

Tributes continue to pour in for the Mountrath native and none more poignant than the beautiful tribute in the Tipperary versus Waterford Allianz National League match day programme last Saturday evening from Dr Finn Ó Murchú, the Head of School in MIC Thurles.

The tribute reads as follows: 

All at MIC, St Patrick’s Campus, Thurles grieve the loss of our wonderful student Adam Kirwan. Our
sympathies are with his family especially his parents Lourda and Paul, his sister Marie, and his wide
circle of friends and team mates across county, club and college teams. As a college community our
loss is compounded by the fact that just a few Sundays ago Adam starred in MIC Thurles’ famous
victory in the Higher Education Colleges Ryan Cup.

Adam was a first-year student on our post-primary teacher preparation programme studying Gaeilge and Religious Education. We are so grateful that he joined our college and no doubt such a decision was influenced by his fellow county
man Aaron Dunphy and by thoughts of playing college hurling with other intercounty stars.

Adam’s devotion to hurling was unrivalled and he hurled as he lived. For us he was our midfield
dynamo. This is so eloquently penned and captured by his manager Cian Treacy in the poem recited
by his good friend Aaron Gleeson at his funeral mass. Adam was a free spirit, creative, innovative
and skillful. A young man of huge individual integrity and always a team player looking out for
others.

A person that made you look good on the field of play and feel good off the field of play. Any
encounter with Adam left you feeling good about yourself and more often than not I would find
myself smiling in the afterglow of our now too few but precious conversations. He would have been
an amazing teacher.

Adam was our link man, he brought people together and his generosity of spirit was clearly a trait he
inherited from his family. In more recent days Paul, Lourda and Marie bestowed MIC Thurles with
the honour of partaking in Adam’s funeral mass and cortege, and for that we will always be grateful.
We will continue to seek to support Adam’s family and friends at this sad time and find ways to best
honour his name. He will always be with us, when once more, we take to the field of play. Is mór
dúinn go raibh tú linn Adam, is trua nach raibh tú linn ach seal. Suaimhneas síoraí ort, a bhuachaill.

Dr Finn Ó Murchú
Head of School
MIC Thurles