Cloughjordan FC turn tragedy into protecting future players
By Gary Culbert
Last Friday, Cloughjordan FC partnered with the Dillon Quirke Foundation to provide cardiac screening for 42 boys and girls aged between 12 & 18.
The event, held at Cloughjordan No. 1 National School, was organised by Cloughjordan FC as a response to a tragic incident that happened in the club almost one year ago.
On September 18th 2025, Cloughjordan player Chinenyenwa 'Chiboy' Nwabufoh died suddenly during a club training session in Moneygall.
Club secretary Eoin Killackey explains how Cloughjordan FC were determined to make the best of the tragic situation that unfolded.
“We contacted the Dillon Quirke Foundation on foot of what happened last year, but also it would be on my mind that it’s a good thing to do anyways – it’s a peace of mind for anybody that gets screened,” Killackey explained.
“Even fit and healthy as you are, this could get to anybody. That’s why the Dillon Quirke Foundations exists. Their aim is to raise awareness of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS). What happened to us last year literally brings it closer to home, it could happen to anybody at any time – it doesn’t necessarily have to be at training or at a match.”
Killackey was the main first responder applying CPR to on the tragic night, which he recalls as a blur now.
“I don’t have huge memories of it to be honest. Once we realised it was a serious incident, instinct or auto-pilot just took over. I just went into a little zone of, okay, this is what I have to do now,” he said.
“You can do CPR on a thousand practice models and a thousand mannequins that have no faces, but it’s completely different when you are looking down at somebody and you feel that, at the minute, their best chance of surviving is whether or not I do this properly.”
For Killackey, his way of dealing with what he experienced last year to the father of two is to take what positives he can from the terrible situation that unfolded.
“If what happened to us last year went without any action – it didn’t cause any reaction in us – then it was probably for nothing,” he added.
“You have to take some little silver lining from it if you can possibly, because it’s such a tragic event: a guy does what all of us have been doing all out lives, just going training; just wanting to go for a kick-around with new friends; just wanting to be part of a team; the stuff that we all do. If that doesn’t cause some sort of reaction in you then it was just this isolated incident that didn’t mean anything.
“By doing this for all our underage players we are at least doing our little bit to try and look after them. Trying to do something that’s not soccer related but is for the best interest of our members. Even if one person gest something from it, then it’s been very worthwhile” he added.
The Dillon Quirke Foundation provided the cardiac screening free of charge for the Cloughjordan FC youngsters. Over €500 was collected through donations to the foundation.