Coming together of old rivals gets to the heart of our games

AT first, Amanda Stapleton wondered if it was a touch of vertigo. A headache and light-headed feeling that came out of nowhere. Thought nothing of it. Sure, why would she?

Thirty years old, she had swapped Borrisoleigh in Tipperary for the bright lights of the big city. It was living in London and working as a teacher that she met Cillian Ryan. All the way to make a life across the water and her beau ends up from up around Newtown in north Tipperary. A typical Irish love story. And then, after a night out, Amanda felt unwell the next day. She found herself losing mobility in her left arm, left leg. In the hospital, the news had that terrible shock value: the effects stemmed from a bleed on the brain.

From that point, her world — and that of her family — was turned upside down.

It’s why her brother Shane is on the local GAA pitch in Borrisoleigh, overseeing the media launch of the upcoming benefit match in her name that is taking place at the same venue.

As a journalist-double All-Ireland club winner with Cuala, Shane is more used to being the one asking the questions. His brother Paddy is another Stapleton with a couple of All-Ireland medals with Tipperary. And two of his old soldiers from the 2010 team were on hand to lend their support yesterday, Lar Corbett and Brendan Cummins. Eoin Murphy from Kilkenny also answered the call.

The outpouring of support from all angles has been overwhelming.

On Monday, November 3, a crowd of up to 6,000 is expected at Bishop Quinlan Park. ‘The Legends Return’ is the tagline for the Tipperary-Kilkenny hurling game that will feature the stars that lit up their modern rivalry and what became almost an annual armwrestle for the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

The figures of Eoin Kelly, Seamus Callanan and Lar Corbett line up on one side of the poster; Henry Shefflin, Tommy Walsh, and JJ Delaney on the other. A marquee and live bands means that the evening and conversation will certainly run late. Prodigal Tipperary manager Liam Sheedy will take charge of the local selection; DJ Carey the Kilkenny side. They are all there for a reason. ‘I remember being over there during the World Cup,’ recalls Shane. ‘Sitting there in the ward, she had a room on her own. Watching World Cup matches beside her. Trying to rehabilitate her, get her left side going again.’

After her first set-back, Amanda felt well enough to go to Mauritius on holiday with Cillian only to suffer a second bleed on the brain on her return.

‘She was told it was a low-grade growth,’ explains Shane of the initial diagnosis. ‘A tumour. At that point, it doesn’t mean cancer. Then all of a sudden, a second bleed. We knew it was inoperable at the time, whatever it was. But we thought it was going to be okay.

‘Then she got the word. It’s called a glioblastoma — an aggressive, inoperable tumour. I have to say it was the worst moment of my life hearing it.’

The response on the gofundme page for the ‘Amanda Stapleton Benefit Fund’ has been equally overwhelming.

As Paddy says: ‘You only see the great things in Ireland when stuff goes really bad and I suppose things went bad for us a few weeks ago and people have been constantly calling and texting and asking what they can do for us, and donating.’

‘It definitely gave us a huge boost, how good people can be, especially in a tough situation.

‘But I think everyone has someone who has been affected by cancer.

‘It is very tough, especially when the news broke to us first it was very, very hard. But I suppose there’s only so much sitting around and crying you can do, you’ve got to try and get on with life and certainly that’s what Amanda is trying to do, to go on and live the best way she can live.’

A number of other charities will benefit on the night as well: North Tipperary Hospice, Suir Haven Cancer Support Centre in Thurles, and Cois Nore in Kilkenny which offers similar support. The specially commissioned jerseys that are being worn on the night are being sold specifically for the charities.

Just recently Amanda turned 31, and the family gathered all together in London for her birthday.

On Monday, November 3, she will be in the thoughts and minds of the thousands expected at the local field in Borrisoleigh.

This is the GAA that can’t be captured in a 30-second viral clip and launched online.

That runs deep as a well.

‘There’s only so much crying we can do. Amanda is trying to go on and live her life the best way.’