Friends play football in memory of late Aaron

The AOK Cup took place in St Cronan’s National School on May 16 in memory of Aaron O’Kelly, a former pupil who passed away after after developing sepsis at the start of the year.

A cheerful happy boy, Aaron was known to many in St Cronan’s due to his big blond head of curls and his ever-present smile.

The cup was organised by Kevin Vance, one of Aaron’s favourite teachers. Kevin was keen to invite back Aaron’s classmates who graduated last summer so that they could remember him and enjoy some time in each other’s company again.

Invites were also extended to his teammates in Ardmore Rovers.

Since Aaron’s death in January, the family has been surrounded by support from the Bray community. There have been hundreds of acts of kindness which, they say, have carried them through the difficult time.

Aaron had started in Woodbrook College last September and joined the basketball team. In a poignant act of kindness, the team turned up at Aaron’s house one afternoon in April and told his mum Sharon that they had won their first tournament and they wanted the family to have the medal Aaron would have won. Sharon and Paul treasure that medal as a symbol of what Aaron meant to his friends.

The AOK Cup gathered a lot of those friends together in one place to enjoy some football and honour his memory.

Paul O’Kelly, Ryan Byrne, Callum Dutton and Sharon Wells O’Kelly at the AOK Cup, which took place at St Cronan’s NS earlier this month in memory of the late Aaron O’Kelly (left).