Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has offered his support to a camogie and hurling tournament held in memory of a Co Antrim girl who died of a rare disease.
The soccer manager and former Liverpool FC boss, who is originally from Carnlough, has recorded a video ahead of this year’s Maggie Black tournament, which begins in the town this week.
The tournament is hosted by St John’s Camogie Club, and was first held in 2022 in honour of the life of five-year-old Maggie Black, who died in December 2021.
The Glenarm youngster, who was a member of the St John’s U6 team and a pupil at St John’s Primary School in Carnlough, died as a result of Addison’s Disease, a rare autoimmune disorder that affects the body’s adrenal glands.
Her family had waited for 70 minutes for an ambulance to arrive after she took ill at her home, and in the aftermath of the tragedy they launched a petition named ‘Maggie’s Call’, urging the NI Fire Service to be automatically dispatched on emergency medical calls in rural areas.
Ahead of the third year of the tournament, Brendan Rodgers recorded a video which was posted to social media by St John’s Camogie Club.
Posted by St John's Camogie Club Carnlough on Sunday 28 July 2024
Rodgers, who returned as Celtic manager last year following a four-year stint as boss of Leicester City, has made a significant donation towards the club’s grounds, in a bid to “give back” to the local community in Carnlough.
The donation was put towards the redevelopment of the grounds used by both the camogie club, and soccer team Carnlough Swifts, which Rodgers was a member of as a youth.
In the video posted on Sunday, Rodgers said: “I know that Maggie was a very special little girl, whose memory will be kept alive by everyone involved.”
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He said he hopes the tournament “goes very very well”, adding: “So from myself to everyone back in Carnlough and Stonyhill, I wish you all the very, very best, and enjoy the six days.”
St John’s club chairman, Eamon McFadden, told the Irish News the tournament has grown to now include almost 200 children, and Antrim senior camogie and hurling stars would be involved in supporting the event and presenting medals.
He added of the donation to the made by the Celtic boss: “Brendan was only too happy to give back to the community by providing support to our clubs and to help young people from the area develop a love of sport.”
