A MEMORIAL tractor run was held on August 1 in memory of the late ‘gentle giant’, Sean Montgomery, from Boleyhill, Lisnaskea.

A popular community figure, Sean passed away on January 31, aged 59, following a battle with cancer, with the event fundraising for the North West Cancer Centre.

Speaking following the tractor run, and thanking all who had taken part and supported the fundraiser – with the total to be revealed soon – Sean’s wife, Geraldine, said: “It was a very overwhelming experience; we never dreamt it would be the success it was. It really was a phenomenal experience.”

The family believe there were more than 300 tractors present at the run, with tractors coming from all across the island of Ireland to the Knocks Community Centre, where the run begun.

Participants travelled from as far away as County Mayo, where Sean had worked on the Connaght GAA Dome pitch.

The family decided to raise money for the North West Cancer Centre in memory of Sean, due to the compassionate way that all of the staff treated Sean during his treatment.

Geraldine added: “The care Sean received was second to none – they did everything they could for him.”

Praising all of the staff involved in the care of patients in the North West Cancer Centre, Geraldine continued: “We will forever be indebted to Sean’s consultant and team who cared for him.

“As a family, we never realised until Sean was diagnosed just how much care, comfort and support those consultants, nurses, and administration staff do day in, day out in their line of duty.

“We feel the need to give back to them, with the money raised from the Memorial Tractor Run.”

It was a very emotional day for the family circle, as Siofra Duffy, one of Sean’s clinical nurses, spent the day with the community in memory of Sean.

Geraldine said: “Siofra was gobsmacked to see the people giving so much in donations to help them carry on their work of caring in the cancer unit.”

Speaking about the day, and expressing the family’s deepest thanks for all involved, Geraldine said there were crowds everywhere along the tractor run road, from The Knocks, to Lisnaskea, to Donagh.

The idea for the run had come from a conversation between Geraldine and her brother, Frankie, who wished to organise something in memory of Sean.

Prunty Pitches, where Sean had worked under his friend, Joe Pat Prunty, who passed away only days before Sean, also paid tribute to Sean during the run by bringing out some of the machinery that Sean had worked on over his 40 years at Prunty Pitches, including the first machine he had worked on.

Reflecting on her late husband, Geraldine said: “He just enjoyed life and everything about it.”