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The Desy Jennings Football Festival will this year remember ten local people who have passed away, with memorial cups awarded to the winners in various categories in the four day tournament.
the launch of the Desy Jennings Football Festival. Included from left are Roisin
Marron, Mary Marron and Kate Marron. Photograph: Columba O'Hare/ Newry.ie
This year the festival takes place from 4-7 June. The event was launched on the premises of main sponsor Playr-Fit on Wednesday night, 11 March. Organisers announced the introduction of the festival’s Memorial Cups, which honour individuals who made a lasting impact on their families, friends and the local football community. Families connected to the cups were invited to speak, reminding those in attendance that the tournament represents far more than football.
Speaking about main tournament organiser Marty Jennings at the launch, Daniel Donnelly from The Dugout said: "His commitment and hard work over the past few years has been clear to see for everyone that has been involved in this tournament. The festival, each year has went from strength to strength with some big clubs involved from Northern Ireland and further afield. From starting as a charity youth tournament, the festival has now grown into a premier tournament with some of the most exciting young players in the country involved. But at the heart of it, the festival's main aim is still to raise money for local charities, and in doing so, remembering Marty's father, Desy and other people in the local community who are no longer with us."
Jennings, Desy Jennings Football Festival. Photograph: Columba O'Hare/ Newry.ie
The Memorial Cups
Josephine Devlin Memorial Cup
John Doran Memorial Cup
Artie Green Memorial Cup
Desy Jennings Memorial Cup
Pauline Jennings Memorial Cup
Marty Lynch Memorial Cup
Kevin Marron Memorial Cup
Oisin McGuínness Memorial Cup
Raymond Mullen Memorial Cup
Gary Quinn Memorial Cup
Aunt of Kevin Marron, Roisin Marron recalled a Kevin Marron cup some years back. Marron said: "To have Kevin's cup on the go again has brought great pride to the Marron family. The Kevin Marron Memorial cup was always a corner stone in the calendar, a fixture that went a long way in easing what followed Kevin's passing."
Quinn Memorial Cup - Marty Jennings, front centre with members of the
McGuinness, Green and Quinn families at the launch of the Desy Jennings Football
Festival. Included from left are Conor McGranaghan, Gary Quinn, Kelsey Quinn,
Shea Davey and Jimmy Green. Photograph: Columba O'Hare/ Newry.ie
Marron added: "The legacy was so powerful to see. Lads that had never met Kevin were determined to win that cup, because he was and always will be one of them.
"We would like to thank Marty for regenerating the cup, and we hope that it brings some young people, some fantastic memories and experiences in the Name of Kevin."
Newry and Armagh MLA Liz Kimmins talked of the initiative building a legacy. "When you look around at some of the people here who the memorial cups are being are named after, they are people who are synonymous with soccer in Newry so I just think it's amazing that their memory will continue to live on, that our young people will always hear their names, and we can build a legacy that will inspire many more young people coming through"
at the launch of the Desy Jennings Football Festival.
