Huge loss to Blessington
BLESSINGTON GAA CLUB sadly lost a former player and clubman when news filtered through last Wednesday that Willie Sargent had passed away after a short illness at the age of 63.
Willie was a stalwart Junior player in the seventies and eighties as part of the clubs second team, never with aspirations to play higher, but making sure that the second team was there for young lads coming up.
There was Division 3 tournaments like the Shay Dowling in Eadestown, Craul Cup and a Junior championship medal in 1979 and always at corner back. A minute silence was observed at all three games at the grounds on Thursday and flags flew at half-mast.
After retiring from playing, Willie committed himself to ladies football and coaching at nearby Eadestown where his two girls Aislinn and Anna became prominent players. Willie went on to manage Kildare ladies under-14 teams for many years, the highlights being reaching the under-14 2002 and 2004 Leinster finals.
Willie never lost touch, however, with Blessington commencing many years ago to gather all the information to write the over 100year history of the club, the unfinished product being on his mind right to the end, now left to others to finish in his name. Willie was the go-to person when eulogies were drafted to remember past players and members, this the first to be done for a very long time without his great knowledge.
Willie received all his early education in Blessington, then joining KCC before spending most of his career with the Office of Public Works.
Our sympathies to his wife Rose, son Conall, daughters Aislinn and Anna, brother Jim and sister June and his cousins former Blessington players Tommy O Hagan and Pat Quinn (Wicklow county midfielder for many years).