Westlife's Nicky Byrne Kicks off the 12th Colin McKeon 5-A-Side Memorial Tournament

The Colin McKeon Five-a-Side Memorial Tournament in Portmarnock  kicked off to a successful start on Tuesday 1st of July for the 12th year running, with Nicky Byrne from Westlife enthusiastically taking part in not one but two of the matches! The tournament is held in aid of the Asthma Society of Ireland. 

The relationship between the Asthma Society of Ireland and the Colin McKeon Memorial five-a-side soccer tournament is a very special one, honouring the memory of Colin who sadly died of an asthma attack twelve years ago this summer. The tournament was established in memory of Colin and it is a way of family and friends and indeed those who never knew Colin to remember him and his love of football, while raising money for a very good cause. All proceeds from the week go to The Asthma Society of Ireland.

The Cup Final and the Shield Final of the tournament take place on Saturday July 5th in Portmarnock Sports and Leisure Centre from 1pm, with prize presentations to follow that evening.

Over the last eleven years the tournament has raised vital funds to support the work of the Asthma Society but most importantly the tournament has raised awareness of asthma in the community in a positive and inspiring way.

Asthma affects 470,000 people in Ireland and sadly there are between 80 to 100 asthma related deaths in this country every year. The Asthma Society is dedicated to eliminating all deaths from asthma and to improving the quality of life for all those who suffer from the disease.

Colin Mc Keon5-A-Side memorial Tournament Organisers,
Suzanne Ryan, Paul Irwin & Mark Irwin

The society relies on the fundraising efforts of enthusiastic volunteer groups to sustain the organisation and fund its many activities. We work on behalf of people like Colin McKeon and his family to provide a telephone helpline service, information booklets, awareness seminars and to support asthma research in Ireland. Through our work with doctors and nurses specialising in asthma we strive to ensure the delivery of world class asthma care for all the community.

In 2006 & 2007 the Colin McKeon Memorial five-a-side raised an amazing €10,000 each year which helped fund the Asthma Society of Ireland's  "Reach your Peak Asthma and Exercise" DVD.