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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Referee mayor dies at GAA match | Referee mayor dies at GAA match |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A referee has collapsed and died at a GAA match in County Down. | A referee has collapsed and died at a GAA match in County Down. |
| Michael Cole, who was in his 50s and from Kilkeel, was also a councillor on Newry and Mourne District Council and had just completed a term as mayor. | Michael Cole, who was in his 50s and from Kilkeel, was also a councillor on Newry and Mourne District Council and had just completed a term as mayor. |
| The SDLP man was refereeing a Down division one match between Saval and Ballyholland on Thursday night. | The SDLP man was refereeing a Down division one match between Saval and Ballyholland on Thursday night. |
| His successor as mayor of Newry, Sinn Féin's Colman Burns, said news of the death, and its circumstances, had shocked the local community. | His successor as mayor of Newry, Sinn Féin's Colman Burns, said news of the death, and its circumstances, had shocked the local community. |
| "On a personal basis I am deeply saddened. I sat beside Michael since I entered the council in 2000 and, despite being in different political parties, always saw him as a friend," he said. | "On a personal basis I am deeply saddened. I sat beside Michael since I entered the council in 2000 and, despite being in different political parties, always saw him as a friend," he said. |
| "He was a dedicated and hard working councillor. This is a sad day." | "He was a dedicated and hard working councillor. This is a sad day." |
| The chair of Ballyholland GAA club, Sean McAteer, said Saval's physio and the Ballyholland nurse tried to help Mr Cole. | |
| "An ambulance was called right away, the ambulance people were giving the people on the the pitch direction on the phone of what was best to do until they arrived. | |
| "They arrived and worked for a long time, but it became obvious that there was very little they could do," he said. | |
| Newry and Armagh assembly member Danny Kennedy said he felt a "sense of shock and sadness" when he heard about Mr Cole's death. | |
| He said he had been a friend and "worthy political opponent" who had been "a very effective and popular first citizen". | He said he had been a friend and "worthy political opponent" who had been "a very effective and popular first citizen". |
| Mr Cole is believed to have collapsed about half-an-hour into the game. | Mr Cole is believed to have collapsed about half-an-hour into the game. |