Clonoulty-Rossmore club pays tribute to Dillon Quirke

The chairman of Clonoulty-Rossmore Andrew Fryday has paid tribute to his nephew Dillon Quirke, who tragically died on Friday night whilst representing his club in a Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship match.

The player, who started all four of his county's Munster Championship games this season, collapsed at Semple Stadium in the first half of their game with Kilruane MacDonaghs. He quickly received medical attention on the pitch before being transferred to Tipperary University Hospital by ambulance where he passed away.

Speaking to RTÉ News, Fryday, a brother of Quirke's mother Hazel, paid tribute to both the player and the person.

"He was a pure gentleman, a lovely, lovely young man who had anything you’d want in a hurler. A fine, big strong man. Fit and able, a leader on the field. He was captain of our club team this year, he led from the front.

Andrew Fryday, chairman of the Clonoulty/Rossmore club and uncle of Dillon Quirke, has paid tribute to the Tipperary hurler after his tragic death on Friday. pic.twitter.com/RJxmmkhizx

Fryday said that the Tipp club were excited about how far their shining star could go in the game.

"His uncle in law Declan Ryan, our former Tipperary manager, was manager and coach of the team. Dillon absolutely loved him, he’d do anything for him.

"We were very hopeful this year that we would drive on and do the repeat of 2018 and put another county final on the table.

"Dillon also won an under-21 county final that year for his club, in '18, and he won a county final here with the club in 2014 at U16. His curriculum vitae was absolutely immense.

"We were so looking forward to him leading the way for the next number of years for us."

"He was a gas young man, full of devilment, full of roguery.," he