"Today is one of the saddest occasions our club has ever known."

Former GAA player Kieran O'Connor has passed away following a battle with cancer. The Cork 2010 All-Ireland winner and father-of-three was diagnosed with a type of bone cancer, Ewing's sarcoma, in 2017. O'Connor was first diagnosed with the tumour weeks before the birth of his third child. He began his third fight against the disease in 2019. O'Connor passed away this week, aged 41. He is survived by his wife Sinéad and three children. "Today is one of the saddest occasions our club has ever known," reads a statement from O'Connor's own Aghada GAA club. "There are no words that will capture just what Kieran O'Connor meant to Aghada GAA. "We are truly proud of him and his achievements in the Aghada and Cork jerseys. We are honoured to be able to call him an Aghada man." Cork County Chairperson Tracey Kennedy added: “It was with great sadness that we learned of Kieran’s death today. "He was a tower of strength on the field of play, and showed that same strength of character and courage in dealing with his illness over the past few years. "He will be an unimaginable loss to his family, and on behalf of all in Cork GAA, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies to Kieran’s wife Sinéad, their three children, Isabelle, Ava and James, and also to his parents Pat and Mary, sister Aisling and brothers Patrick and John Paul." Aghada GAA and the 'Friends of Kieran' group organised many fundraisers following O'Connor's diagnosis. They have asked supporters "to pray with us today between 3-4 for Kieran and for his complete healing. Light a candle and say a prayer." Image via Friends of Kieran.