Words from Tommy Keogh. Sad to report the passing of Gerry Blackburn , (1938-2021) formerly of Station Road , Clondalkin , Dublin , a former player of the local Round Towers GAA Club. Clondalkin , Dublin.
Gerry passed away in Essex , England early August.
Gerry attended Mount St. Joseph school on Monastery Road and while growing up in Clondalkin as a teenager , Gerry was very popular among his many friends and he was known locally as “Footloose” to them. He played juvenile football in the regional South County Dublin Football League during the fifties winning league medals at Under 14, Under 16 and minor U18 grades. Sadly Gerry’s decision to emigrate to England while in his early twenties cut short his adult football career and also deprived the Club of the services of an outstanding Senior player with such huge potential .
It would be remiss of me if I did not acknowledge the huge involvement of the Blackburn family in its contribution to the progress of the Round Tower Club for over 70 years , From the very early days of the Club, which was founded in 1884 and is among one of the oldest club in the history of the GAA founded in 1884 also, Gerry’s father Patrick served on the Club committee for several years ,while on the playing fields Patrick won selection to the Dublin Junior team of 1912 while club honours came his way in winning the Evening Post Cup in 1914 and the Junior Championship in 1917.Gerry’s eldest brother John continued on the work of his father in both serving on the Club committee and playing for the club during the fifties while in1950 Gerry’s other brother Patsy featured on the Dublin Minor team of 1950 and was part of the club’s double success in winning both Intermediate League and Championship in 1951 and 1952 and thus achieving promotion to Senior Status for the Club. Sadly also Gerry;s only sister Dorrie O’Callaghan (Blackburn) 5 St Johns Park passed away recently also. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam
