Kerry County Board chairman and Brosna native, Tim Murphy will unveil a memorial plaque at Cordal GAA Club grounds on this Saturday evening June 24th at 7:45pm.
The unveiling of the plaque will dedicate the stand there as The Tom Wrenn Memorial Stand forever more
The ceremony will take place after the Cordal v Knocknagoshel county league game which is due to start at 6pm.
Refereeing Duties
The plaque, of black Indian granite and the work of O’Connor Memorials, Castleisland, features a photograph of the late Mr. Wrenn taken by club photographer, Nora Fealey in 2014 after Tom announced his retirement from countywide refereeing duties.
The late Tom Wrenn died in March 2016 and his loss to family, friends and club and community is still felt – and evidently remembered.
If you ever needed to epitomise or personify the oft used phrase A Community Man – then, Tom Wrenn fitted every imaginable category of that broad sweep.
Every baptised child, every holy communion, confirmation, wedding – Tom was there as parish clerk at all the important points in the circle of life of so many people.
Honouring and Remembering
With this evening’s unveiling, Cordal GAA Club members are honouring and remembering their chairman, inspirational leader, referee, worker and East Kerry Board servant. Tom was also honoured by the East Kerry Board shortly before his untimely death.
His really proud moment came in the midst of his own community, on his own GAA field in Cordal. This was on the occasion in June 2015 of the visit of Uachtaráin Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, Aogán Ó Fearghail to re-open the pitch after an exhausting and intensive fundraising campaign and a programme of drainage and resurfacing work.
Career as a Mechanic
Long and loyal service was a hallmark of Tom Wrenn’s life and that extended to his career as a mechanic.
As boy and man he worked with Ahern’s Garage for over 45 years. Ahern’s director, Pat Ahern paid tribute to Tom on hearing the news of his death.
“Tom was one of the main men in the Ahern’s set up. He has been here a lot longer that most of us and he’s known throughout the county and beyond by people who have had vehicles tested here over the years. He’s a huge loss to us and another link with the origins of the firm lost, God rest him,” said Mr. Ahern.
It is appropriate then that Ahern’s are associated with the memorial plaque being unveiled this evening.
There was a lot more written about the late Tom Wrenn at the time of his death and, no doubt, stories of the boundless dedication and energy he put into his local GAA club will be remembered with the opening of The Tom Wrenn Memorial Stand in Cordal this evening.
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