A fundraising Gaelic football game in aid of Kieran Cawley’s medical treatment, organised by his local club Crossmolina Deel Rovers, is not one to miss.

The match, which will be held in the NUI Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome in Bekan on Saturday January 29 at 5.30pm, will see players from Crossmolina Deel Rovers, An Garda Síochána, the Irish Prison Service and a Mayo club selection will do battle.

The team managers on the evening will be Paul Durcan, Tom Jordan, Don Connellan and former Mayo and current Offaly manager John Maughan.

In August 2021, Kieran Cawley was refereeing a GAA match when he started feeling a pain in his side. He later sought medical attention as the pain was not going away. Initial diagnosis pointed at possible gallstones, however the actuality was much worse.

The pain was being caused by a blood clot in his liver due to cancer. After undergoing multiple scans and procedures and enduring several long agonising weeks awaiting results, Kieran was finally diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called cholangio carcinoma. Cancer of the bile duct, in an advanced stage. This type of cancer is very rare and affects approximately 140 people in Ireland annually and usually in people over the age of 65.

Kieran is married to Marcella and they have a 2 and a half-year-old son Caolán. They have recently moved into their new house which they have built together in Crossmolina, where Kieran is very active in the local community. He is a Gaelic Football and Rugby referee. He is a Prison Officer by profession with 13 Years service.

His family wants to ensure that Kieran has access to the best of care and they are currently looking into treatment options abroad and have launched the GoFundMe in support.

The fundraiser has helped to raise over €190,000 for Kieran’s treatment.

If you wish to donate to the GoFundMe, follow the link here.