Dedicated GAA man Frank ‘an absolute legend of a man’

FRANK Madden has been remembered as a dedicated GAA man and “an absolute legend of a man” in the Kingswood community, after he passed away last week at age 88.

A native of Roscommon, Frank became a garda at age 21 and later worked as a detective in stations around Dublin including Sundrive in Crumlin, Kevin Street and Harcourt Square.

He had a longstanding passion for GAA and was one of the founding members of St Kilian’s GAA Club in Kingswood and was the first chairman when the club amalgamated with St Kevin’s in the 1990s.

Frank’s dedication to GAA grew even more after he retired from An Garda Síochána in 1993, and he has been remembered for giving a lot of his time to the club and the Kingswood community.

Frank’s son, Tommy, told The Echo: “He was a unique character, he’d never steer you wrong.

“He did a lot of work in the community with the GAA, he took a lot of young people under his wing and steered them the right way.

“He coached the Dublin underage development squad, and he was one of the founding members of St Kilian’s, and was the first chairman when the clubs amalgamated.

“He had huge involvement in GAA and a huge passion for it, and he thought it was important for young people.

“He felt that young people should have a chance in life, and it didn’t matter what background they were from, he had empathy for people, and he always believed in the youth.”

The father-of-three was held in high esteem in the community, as many parents of young people who were being led astray reached out to Frank for help to set their child on the straight and narrow.

“The impact he had on the local people in the area, they said he was like a father figure to them, giving them guidance and advice,” added Tommy.

“The phone was always on and the door was always open, if parents were worried about their children they’d ask him to have a word with them, and they’d have cups of tea and talk for hours.

“He’d never hear a bad word said about any of the youth in the area. He was an absolute legend of a man for the community.”

Away from the garda station and the GAA pitch, Frank also had a keen sense of humour, and he always left work at work when he was a detective, sometimes working on high-profile cases.

“He was a great man for the craic,” explained Tommy. “When he was in work, he was serious, but out of work he was funny, he liked a joke.

“The people he chased down, arrested and locked up at work, he could always leave that back there at work and be Dad once he came home.”

But Frank’s lasting legacy is on the Kingswood community, and particularly the members of St Kevin’s Kilian’s GAA Club.

“The legacy he left behind is the GAA club, because it’s still here to this day,” said Tommy.

“Everyone has been telling us about how good he was to people in the area, and he had empathy for people and could see the other person’s point of view.

“He was ahead of his time, and he was a legend of a man.”

Frank Madden, beloved husband of Mairead and much-loved dad of Frank, Órla and Thomas, passed away on April 8 surrounded by his loving family.

Frank will be forever loved and very sadly missed by his loving wife, sons, daughter, grandson, sister Mary, brother Luke, Frank’s partner Nicole, Thomas’s partner Jessica, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

His funeral was held in St Kilian’s Church in Kingswood, followed by burial in Newlands Cross Cemetery.