Eamonn Hayes.

An absolute legend in his own lifetime; anyone who has had the fortune to meet Eamonn Hayes, will have been blessed with a good story, a rude joke or a strong desire to revisit their musical back catalogue.

A generously proportioned lad, Eam’s rugby vocation from the age of 7 was always destined to be at the coal face and he was resplendent as a mulleted, prepubescent enforcer in the front row from this tender age, playing for Kingston, London Irish, Richmond and London Welsh rugby clubs.

With the support of his wife, Judy, Eam has imparted his love of the game, of Irish Rugby and of Munster into his two lads, Frank and Billy, who have also inherited his passion for music. He has instilled his contagious sense of fun and laughter in everyone who has played, sang or drank with him over the years. Not least, at a teammate’s wedding where he entertained his hero Willie John McBride, whom he was seated next to thanks to a well-constructed seating plan.

Since his stroke in September 2019, Eam has made some determined progress, however, six years later he remains wheelchair-bound and is still being fed through a tube into his stomach, as his brain cannot yet control his swallow so he cannot eat or drink without aspirating. This is particularly frustrating for Eam, as he has always loved his fine dining and is quite the wine connoisseur.

Suffering from Dysarthria post-stroke, a speech condition that affects his muscle control, his communication has improved immensely thanks to weekly speech therapy sessions, kindly funded by a member of the Galway Golf Association. He works daily on his cognition and hand-eye coordination, takes part in multiple Teams and Zoom calls with other stroke survivors and thankfully hasn’t lost that quick mind and mischievous glint in his eye.

Due to the location of the stroke in his cerebellum, his balance has been severely impacted and is proving difficult to regain. However, he is making some improvements over the years thanks to regular neurological physiotherapy sessions. He can now transfer from chair to floor and back again and has parallel bars installed at home to allow him to practice walking and exercise with support during sessions.

Six years later, he still remains as resilient and determined as ever. He set himself the challenge to be mobile enough for Judy to be able to take him to see Bruce Springsteen in Hyde Park last July. With the courage of his convictions, he managed to rock out with The Boss and makes regular trips to see live music at local venues.

We all desperately hope to again be having a beer, singing a song and laughing loudly at one of his many inappropriate stories, but we know there is still a long and precarious road ahead. We are resolutely determined to support him and his family in any way we can. Every step of the way.

On Thursday September 19th we are hosting a Golf day and Dinner dance at West Byfleet Golf club to support Eamonn and his family.

All support is greatly appreciated, big or small.

Eamonn's rugby mates.