Remember Kevin McDaid

From the newly launched website, Remember Kevin McDaid:

Several hours after Rangers won the SPL in May, a husband and father of four called Kevin McDaid was attacked and brutally murdered by bigots in Coleraine, County Derry in the North of Ireland.

The attackers had conspired in a public house to go and ‘Kill a Taig’, a Taig Being a derogatory term for someone religiously Catholic and ethnically and nationally Irish. Kevin was viciously attacked and died as result of the injuries that had been brutally inflicted.

In the ensuing moments Kevin’s wife was also attacked by the mob, leaving her with various bruises and two black eyes. Almost at the same time Damian Fleming,a neighbour and friend of Kevin McDaid was also attacked, the modus operandi the same, a baying mob inflicting serious injuries around his head.

Amazingly Damian survived but is still in hospital today, over a month after the brutal attacks.

Celtic fans, both in Ireland and Scotland have decided it would be fitting if the Celtic family could come together and make a contribution to help in some way which will offer Mrs McDaid and her four children some financial security as they contemplate the future without a loving husband and father. Kevin, a lifelong Celtic supporter worked within the community to try to bring people together, perhaps ironically his presence in the streets that evening was to help diffuse tensions in and around the area.

A bank account has been opened in the North of Ireland with one sole purpose,to donate to the family of Kevin McDaid. The plan is that this account will remain open until 13th November 2009, at which time Kevin McDaid’s widow will be able to withdraw the monies raised and use it as she sees appropriate in assisting in the upbringing of the four children.

If you can donate anything towards the future of the McDaid family it is a wonderful and worthwhile gesture and in many ways reinforces the whole concept of the Celtic family and is a gesture that is warmly appreciated by the whole McDaid family at such a difficult period, exacerbated by the fact there is still a death threat in place from bigots against Ryan McDaid, the oldest of the four children and a lifelong Celtic fan.

Follow the link to the website above for instructions on making overseas donations.