Former Tyrone gaelic footballer and ex-Antrim manager Jody Gormley has died three months after being told that he had terminal cancer.
The 53-year-old revealed publicly six weeks ago that he had been diagnosed with stage four liver cancer in the middle of September.
The Trillick man guided his native club to the Tyrone Senior Football title last year and immediately following his team’s defeat in this season’s county final informed his players of his cancer diagnosis.
Speaking last month in a moving interview on the BBC’s GAA podcast The GAA Social, Gormley said that he had “no fear of dying whatsoever”.
“I’ve felt blessed my entire life. The sadness is the people you’re leaving behind,” he added.
“That I’ll not get to see my son, he’s training hard with Trillick, he’s come back after a couple of years, that I’ll not get to see him play and I’ll not get to see my family grow up and mature.
“That’s not scary but sad really. That’s the reality. When you peel it all back, it’s the people close to you that you’re not going to have those experiences with.”
Gormley helped Tyrone reach the 1995 All-Ireland Final where he was the Red Hands’ only scorer alongside Peter Canavan as they were controversially edged out by Dublin by a single point.
Earlier that summer, he had hit what proved Tyrone’s winning point in a tempestuous Ulster semi-final against Derry at Clones which the Red Hands won despite playing the entire second half with only 13 players following the red cards handed to Seamus McCallan and Pascal Canavan.
A year later, Gormley helped the Tyrone side jointly managed by Art McRory and Eugene McKenna clinch a second successive Ulster Football title.
In addition to his club, Gormley’s talent had been honed by his time at Ulster University, Jordanstown, where he achieved success on the football field in addition to forming friendships that he maintained for the rest of his life.
After moving to England for work reasons in the late 1990s, the Trillick man lined out for the London gaelic football team for a time and when his playing days ended following a stint with Belfast club Bredagh, it was no surprise that the cerebral Gormley moved into coaching and management.
After a stint in the backroom team of Down senior boss Paddy O’Rourke, Gormley was appointed as Antrim manager in 2007 and he went on to manage a number of clubs including latterly his native Trillick.
The schoolteacher also guided Abbey CBS Newry to their only All-Ireland Senior Colleges Hogan Cup title in 2006 and he continued to work at the school until his cancer diagnosis.
Gormley suffered a stroke in July while training in the gym with his son James during a family holiday in Florida and was informed of the diagnosis two months later following a series of tests.
The former Tyrone player was married to Deirdre and also was father to daughters Aine and Niamh.
I’m deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Jody Gormley.
Throughout his illness, Jody showed incredible strength, courage, and resilience.
His empowering words will continue to inspire and help so many others as they navigate their own battles in life.
My thoughts are with… pic.twitter.com/IcpY5mKiIq
— Michelle O’Neill (@moneillsf) December 9, 2024
Among those to pay tribute to Gormley was First Minister Michelle O’Neill.
“Throughout his illness, Jody showed incredible strength, courage, and resilience,” O’Neill wrote on X.
“His empowering words will continue to inspire and help so many others as they navigate their own battles in life.
“My thoughts are with his family and his many friends throughout the GAA.”