NORTH Clare is reeling while the entire county is gripped in a state of shock and sadness with the untimely death of Éanna Rouine.
Untimely because the Lahinch man was only entering his prime at twenty years of age and it makes his loss all the more difficult to absorb for his loving family and wide circle of friends.
When word emerged on Sunday morning that Éanna was fighting for his life after attending a concert in Dublin it was met with disbelief that the future of such a healthy young man was on the line. This was replaced by a numbness on Tuesday morning when his death was announced, extinguishing a shining light with a bright future on the horizon.
Talented on the football field with Ennistymon and Clare, an excellent musician on the concertina and lively on his feet as a dancer, Éanna had skills in an abundance of fields including his summer work as a lifesaver. His ability to charm and humour was also visible through his time working at The Nineteenth Bar in Lahinch, it’s why he was adored by so many, a feeling enhanced by his good looks which so many people have commented on since the weekend. His intelligence was known by those who studied alongside him, most recently those in UL where was a second year business student.
Over 160 people attended a prayer service for Éanna on Monday evening in Lahinch with 600 plus tuning in online. His aunt, Brid O’Gorman herself a fine musician and his friend Ruairí Murphy among those to lead the prayers. Fr Des Forde noted how Éanna left for Dublin on Saturday morning “full of fun”.
With the surname Rouine, it comes as little surprise that Éanna was immersed in and brilliant at gaelic football. He represented Clare at minor level in 2021, was part of the U20 panel from 2022 to 2024 and formed part of the extended Clare senior football panel in 2024. He won an All-Ireland Freshers championship with UL last year. With Ennistymon CBS, he won Munster titles at senior level in 2023 as they recorded a memorable double in hurling and football.
When it came to lining out with his beloved Ennistymon, Éanna won championships across the board. He joined the senior panel in 2022, a year in which they contested the county final. He became a member of the starting team in 2023 and was corner forward on the side which defeated St Breckan’s to win the club’s first Cusack Cup title, kicking a point in their 0-10 0-8 win. Later that season, he provided an unforgettable assist which was finished to the net by David Fitzgerald as they overcame Corofin 1-8 0-9 to seal their senior status.
Winning was something he enjoyed but he also took great pride from playing alongside his brothers and cousins whom he was incredibly close with, getting the opportunity to play with some of them for the first time in white and black at senior level.
His ability as a musician saw him grace the airwaves of RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta just last month appearing on an episode of Ceol Binn ó na Beanna alongside his siblings, Eoin, Dara and Brid Áine, his aunt Brid and cousins Diarmuid Crowe, Gearóid Crowe, Síomha Crowe and Caitríona Rouine.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Cllr. Shane Talty (FF) who is also Chairperson of Ennistymon football club stated, “Our whole community is in shock at Éanna’s passing. A bright and talented young man, taken far too soon. We are humbled by the outpouring of support from across the GAA fraternity locally and across the country. Our thoughts, energy and prayers are focused on supporting Éanna’s loving family through this terribly difficult time”.
In a statement, Ennistymon GAA said they were “shocked and saddened at the untimely passing of our great teammate & friend Éanna. A truly talented and accomplished sportsman but much more than that, he was intelligent, witty, a strong academic performer, a talented musician, a loyal friend and a loving son, grandson and brother. His on-field successes are too numerous to list. His passing will leave a void in the club that we will all struggle to deal with together in the days, months and years ahead”.
Clare GAA said the GAA community “is deeply shocked and profoundly saddened by the untimely passing”. The statement added, “Above anything else Éanna was a popular and beloved young man with his whole life ahead of him. His loss has left a void that words cannot fill, and his absence will be felt not only on the field but in the hearts of all who knew him in his community and circle of friends in North Clare”.
Prior to senior training on Tuesday, St Breckan’s held a minute’s silence as they gathered in a circle in memory of Éanna. Ennistymon flags are flying across North Clare in his memory with GAA clubs and local organisations posting tributes.
Éanna is survived by his parents Cáitriona and John, his brothers Eoin and Dara, his sister Brid Áine, his grandmother Bridget, his uncles, aunts, cousins from the Rouine and O’Gorman and a wide circle of friends.
An Garda Síochána and Clare County Council are working on a traffic management plan for his funeral which is expected to take place this weekend.
