WAY ON JIM’S FINAL JOURNEY HOME
BRIAN STYNES spoke for everyone present when the former Dublin footballer told mourners at his brother Jim’s memorial service: ‘He leaves a 6ft 7in hole in our lives that will always be empty’. The state funeral for the Aussie Rules legend and Dublin native was broadcast to an estimated 16,000 onlookers who congregated outside St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne, where the e service was shown on giant video screens. In an emotional eulogy, Stynes hailed his older brother as a father figure who had been there right through his own career, er, even flying from the other th side id of the world to surprise him on his own biggest sporting day. ‘When I played in the 1995 All-ireland final, Jim flew home to surprise me the day before the game. He was there to celebrate the biggest moment of my career,’ Stynes told mourners, who included GAA president Christy Cooney and Paul Clarke, who played alongside Jim in the 1984 Dublin minor All-ireland-winning team. ‘He was an inspiration to us all. I tried following in his footsteps, but they were always too big,’ added Stynes. In a lighter moment, Garry Lyon (above), a former Melbourne team-mate of Jim, recalled the time when he felt that the Dubliner had proved his Aussie credentials. Lyon appointed Stynes as his assistant when he managed the Australian International Rules team on two tours to Ireland in 2001 and 2003, both of which they won, but only after benefitting from some covert informa information after Stynes tapped into the Irish cha channel on his walkie-talkie. ‘For the first five minutes we listened to the coach o of the Irish team make his move, and we tru trumped them, and we eventually went on and won the game,’ revealed Lyo Lyons to peals of laughter. Syd Sydney Swans great Tadhg Kennelly an and Greater Western Sydney player Setanta S Ó háilpin were among the crowd and Kennelly said: ‘I’m proud to say I’m an Irishman playing AFL football in Australia because of Jim. H He opened up the gates for every o one of us and I wouldn’t be here today to if it wasn’t for him.’ Óh Ó háilpin also spoke of the help given to h him by Stynes when the Cork man bega began his AFL adventure with Carlton Blues Blues. ‘In my f first couple of years, he took me under h his wing and without his help and support support, I wouldn’t be here today,’ he said.