Gerry’s memory immortalised at Strabane Cricket Club

CRICKET supporter Gerry McDermott’s memory has been immortalised at the Strabane club after a special bench was placed in one of his favourite places.

Gerry was born and bred in Dunamanagh but in the 1950s with his wife, Mary, and young family he moved into Strabane and made it in his home. He was a man of basic tastes who neither smoked or drank but he had a great interest in cricket and he soon became a regular face at Strabane Cricket field.

His passion never waned over the years and he regularly took his seat just behind the wall at ‘deep square leg’ where he held court with men who would become lifelong friends.

Through the decades, through good times and bad and whilst raising eight children and running his own football team Gerry never lost that connection and the old Strabane field became a place of sanctuary for him and somewhere he looked forward to going to each week.

Many of his fellow conspirators over the years included Billy Boyd, Pat Boyle, Eddie McGurk, Joe Deans, Paddy and Mary Gillespie, Vic Craig and many others. All Strabane legends in their own right.

Even when they moved to their new home further down the Bog Road Gerry continued to attend regularly although he had to relinquish his old seat and moved to the window in front of the pavilion. He liked to help out by sometimes giving the wicket a brush or roll and he took great pleasure in chronicling many of the events on film. Gerry loved gadgets and was one of the first to own a digital camera in the town and he would take great delight in taking photos at a match and then going home and printing them off and bringing them down again to show everyone at the evening session.

Sadly Gerry passed away in January last year aged 89. A good innings he himself wryly remarked. His children Doms, Ann, Tina, Carmel, Decky, Aidy, Brenda and Nigel thought because their dad took so much pleasure from the club they would like to give something back, so they approached Gerry’s great friend, and present club chairman, Dougie Nelson to see would it be possible to donate a bench to mark Gerry’s love for the club. Dougie thought this was a marvellous idea and bent over backwards to make it happen.

The bench was unveiled before Strabane’s recent home match with St Johnston. The present team manager, Peter Gillespie, spoke with great affection about the respect Gerry had amongst the club and how they will be forever indebted to him for documenting much of the recent history of the club through his photography skills. Peter said it was people like Gerry who were the heart and soul of local sports clubs who made it possible for countless generations to play the sport they loved.

Gerry’s eldest son Doms spoke on behalf of the McDermott family. He thanked Dougie and Peter and said it was fitting the bench would be placed at the window where Gerry sat in the latter years. He also spoke of his dad’s old friends who have since passed and said he hoped things like the bench will help keep their memory alive as well.