‘He touched so many hearts’

What are we doing today?’ is something Leon Briody asked his family each morning, and even in his final days he woke up full of enthusiasm for the day ahead.

Leon passed away on September 11 last year after a hard-fought battle with cancer, and now his family and friends have set up the ‘Leon Briody Memorial’ page on Facebook and Instagram to keep his memory alive. Sitting at her kitchen table, his mam Diane Briody, paints a vivid picture of who her son was. Leon was a nine-year-old boy who was full of life, a football fanatic and a fierce supporter of his local club, Ballyhaise GAA.

Despite his young age, Leon had the mind of an adult. He let you know what he thought, sometimes without any filter and with a sense of humour that would send anyone into fits of laughter. Hardworking, he pitched in with jobs around the house and on the farm; mowing the lawn and helping to bring in bales. He adored dogs, and farming too. Leon had a zest for life, and jam-packed everything he could into his nine short years.

“I’d do it all again in the morning to have him back,” his mam Diane shares, who with tear-filled eyes laughs at the memories shared with her boy.

Throughout his diagnosis he never complained, he got up every morning and filled his day with fun and excitement.

“Even coming up to the end you wouldn’t think he was as sick as what he was.”

Diane is determined to continue his legacy. A coffee morning on January 24, a tractor run and a football tournament for Leon are already marked on this year’s calendar.

“I just thought we need to keep his memory alive,” Diane explains.

“You do go into a lot of grief and a lot of sadness, but I’m not the type of person that can just sit around and do nothing.”

Funds raised will go towards erecting memorials in Leon’s favourite places, with the Ballyhaise GAA pitch taking top spot. “He just loved the football field, he’d always find somebody to kick about with no matter what age. Nobody was off limits to him, he was very sociable. He touched so many hearts and so many people and I don’t even think he realised.”

The family also decided to design a jersey in his honour, a fitting tribute as Leon adored jerseys. During his illness, the whole country and beyond rallied around the Castletara man, who wanted a jersey from every county. When children’s cancer charity Oscar’s Kids put out the call, their wish was granted in less than 12 hours. GAA jerseys came from Luxembourg, Switzerland, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and from all over Ireland.

In November, the family went to work tailoring a jersey exactly how Leon would have wanted it. When the Celt meets Diane in their home, she’s wearing the jersey, which was made by Cico in Cavan. The collar is green and yellow, representing Leon’s beloved Ballyhaise team. At the back of the jersey is a black and white portrait of Leon doing what he loved most; out playing on the football field. His signature sits on top of the photo. The number nine, Leon’s age, is front and centre. On the left, a crest with Leon’s face reads ‘What are we doing today?’

“That was his motto, he’d get up every day and ask what are we doing?” Diane explains.

“A lot of people have said to me ‘I don’t know how you’re doing it’. Leon’s attitude no matter how sick he was, he was up and he was out, and he’d be doing stuff. Life is for living,” she advises.

Leon was a massive John Deere fan, which is why his tractor features on the jersey too and his buggy which Santa brought last year. A rally car from Moffetts and McElvaney’s Scania truck provided days of great craic for Leon, and these memories feature on the jersey too. “The Moffetts and the McElvaneys brought him on his last journey home, which was so thoughtful. It was lovely of them to do that,” says an emotional Diane.

The touching tribute to Leon was distributed to family and friends. They family hope to open up the link for jerseys again in the coming months. Page followers can keep an eye on social media for Leon’s jersey and the events they have planned for him.

“When we’re doing this, I still feel like he’s here and I do think he’s with us along this journey. I feel like he is a part of it. It’s just all about keeping his memory alive.”

Diane praised the support for the memorial page.

“Nothing is ever out of the question... everybody is so helpful.”