'Trying to set an example': random stranger's gesture to injured Westmeath GAA star

Ray Connellan was easily the best player on the pitch for much of the first half of the recent Leinster SFC final against Dublin in Croke Park.

Sadly, it came to a premature end when Connellan was stretchered off shortly before half time, with an horrific injury which turned out to be a double fibula break and ligament damage.

Connellan later underwent surgery at Santry Clinic, and had two plates inserted into his leg.

While most Westmeath Gaels winced out of concern for Connellan and have since mused over the impact which his absence will have on this Saturday's Qualifier against Mayo, one GAA fan was so moved by Connellan's plight that he/she sent him the following anonymous letter:
 

Apparently, the sender was sitting near Mullingar entertainer Ben Dolan at the Leinster final, and so addressed the letter to "Ben Dolan, brother of the late Joe Dolan, somewhere in Mullingar, Westmeath."

The letter was taken to Connellan by Westmeath manager Tom Cribbin at Santry Clinic, where the Lake County star began what is expected to be a 14-week recovery period.

Connellan was astonished to find that the anonymous letter included a donation to help the Athlone man in his rehabilitation.

"There's a lot of very decent people out there," Connellan tweeted. "This random supporter of GAA being one of them. Incredible gesture."

“It was completely random, no connections and, from I what I can gather, he wasn’t even involved with Westmeath football, just a GAA supporter who felt sorry for someone getting a bad injury," he told the media yesterday.

“This man was quite elderly, and this was not something that you would see too often in sport or anywhere else. It was a very touching and unexpected gesture."