LEGACY OF LOCAL FOOTBALL LEGEND SHANE WILL LIVE ON AT NORTH END
ONE of Wexford soccer’s most loved characters received a fitting send-off at Rowe Street Church last Friday morning.
Although his title said he was Chairman of North End United, to those who knew him best Shane Roche was much, much more than that. And following his untimely passing at the age of 46 his club came out in force to express their appreciation for a man who, over the years, had fulfilled almost every role imaginable at North End.
Having first joined the club as a player in his late teens he went on to coach and manage the team at various age groups, but he also found time to work as a kitman, a waterboy and a physio, not to mention painting the clubhouse when he had a minute to spare.
And on the day of his funeral his U-16 team, the boys he worked with on a weekly basis, lined out in a guard of honour, escorting their boss from Macken’s to the North End United ground on Belvedere Road.
Current manager of the first team John Godkin said the club’s famous colours were on full show as the cortege travelled to the church,
‘There was a massive turnout, the U-16 team were donned in the club’s colours and we stopped outside the ground for a minute’s silence followed by a round of applause. The club’s flag was at half mast as a mark of respect.’
Saying he hadn’t seen a funeral like it ‘in a long time’, John and five other club members carried Shane into the church before another of the club’s managers, Denny Carthy, stood in front of the assembly and recalled some of the times he and Shane spent together.
Beginning by saying it was difficult to talk about his old friend without humour being at least some part of the conversation, Denny said he and Shane grew up in Liam Mellowes Park, where neither of them had any ‘airs or graces’ and what you saw was what you got.
Admitting that his pal wasn’t blessed with the greatest footballing talent in the world Denny said what Shane lacked in talent he made up for with his commitment and enthusiasm for the game.
Describing Shane as ‘the wolf that minded the pack, the family, his second family, North End United,’ Denny said no job was ever too big or too small for his friend, whether it was painting, cleaning, fundraising or marking the lines on the pitch.
Recalling one of the club’s finest years Denny said when the club won seven titles in 2012 Shane featured in each of the celebratory photos and when the FAI Junior Cup was won in 2018 he was there again, proudly pictured with the trophy after serving as kitman for the day.
This love affair with North End United ran through the Roche family, with Shane’s son Lee representing the club all the way through the ranks of the schoolboy section, his daughter Lauren, who also represented Wexford in the Gaynor Cup, and Shane Junior who captained the U-16s this season.
Added to that, Shirley, his sister, has long been involved with the underage girls teams at North End, coaching and managing them at various levels.
Denny ended his emotional speech by summing up what Shane meant to him and what made him such an inimitable presence at the football club.
‘I can still see him coming up from the back gate across the pitch, scanning to see if everything was in order. His strut, that of a contrary little man with a smile on his face. Giving out about Goggie and the first team, yet the following Sunday he would be pitchside doing first aid for them.
‘It is only now that we will appreciate the tremendous positive effect he had on all the players he guided through the club, past and present. I have always said a club needs a Shane Roche. He rose from the humble beginnings of a player to become the chairman of a club he loved and adored.
He made me laugh. He done my head in. And this week he made me cry.’
Attempting to find words to describe the sense of loss he and the rest of his family felt, Shane’s older brother Paschal said, ‘Shane was our strength. Everyone in our family could depend on him. Our chain is broken and it is never going to be the same again without him. He is going to be missed so much and everyone’s hearts is broken in our family.’
Confirming that all the week’s games had been cancelled John said there would be a minute’s silence at North End’s next game in Dublin on Friday night.
And he wished to pass on his condolences to all the members of Shane’s family.
‘On behalf of the club I’d like to pass on our deepest sympathies to the Roche and Breen families, to his wife Martina and his children Lee, Lauren, Shane and Darragh. He’s going to be a major loss, not just to his family or to North End, but to the whole of Wexford. The club will ensure his name lives on, his legacy will be remembered here. And we wish to say that our doors are always open to anyone who wants to have a chat, his legacy will be remembered here.
‘We also wish to acknowledge and show appreciation to other soccer clubs in the county who turned up on the day and have expressed their sympathies.’