AN adventure centre near Timoleague is running a spooky Halloween event and donating all proceeds to the memory of the late GAA player Oisín Gillain.

West Cork Secret is hosting its annual terror trail in the woods of Cloundereen. The team behind the centre have decided to donate all money from ticket sales for the event to Oisín’s Gym, which was set up in memory of the Kilbrittain player who died aged 18 from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS).

“He’s missed a lot by the team and there’s a now big void,” said Finbarr O’Mahony, owner of West Cork Secret, where Oisín used to work. “He used to be one of our head clowns. He was a real entertainer. Oisín was larger than life.”

Finbarr recalled how he turned the popular teenager down when he first applied for the job because he was too young at the time. But a friend said he had missed a good worker and Finbarr gave him a job soon afterwards, adding he had seen his skills on the pitch and that Oisín had a presence as soon as he walked in his office door.

“I didn’t see him play as much as I had wished. He was helping us with landscaping, with everything,” he said.

Participants of the Halloween extravaganza at the adventure centre, which is in operation since 2008, can expect thrills and chills in the woods along a trail of lanterns. Visitors will meet a cast of scary characters said to make it a night to remember.

You can sign up for the Halloween terror trail via westcorksecret.ie. The fundraiser will also be held in memory of another former employee of the centre, Anne Enright, who died in September 2024 after taking a drug prescribed for acne.

More than €26,000 of the €50,000 target has already been raised for Oisín’s Gym.   Once the funding target is reached, the gym will become part of a community hub in Kilbrittain in the heart of the village, in the spirit of Oisín’s love of sport, friendship, and community. The hub will also include a youth club with a butterfly room.

“More than a facility, it will be a place of health, connection, and togetherness, reflecting the energy and enthusiasm Oisín brought to everything he did,” said Oisín’s uncle Niall Healy as part of his fundraising call.

Oisín’s loss was felt across West Cork after he died in his sleep in March 2025. His reputation as a footballer and hurler was rapidly growing, for his club Kilbrittain and Hamilton High School in Bandon where he was set to take his Leaving Cert exams. Last year, he helped his school win its first-ever Simcox Cup title against Skibbereen Community School. In their tribute his family thanked everyone who coached, played with and taught Oisín over the years.

Niall said the family were deeply moved by Oisin’s GAA teammates who honoured him throughout their All-Ireland success earlier this year, as well as the generosity and support from the local community.

His jersey hangs proudly in the Kilbrittain dressing room to commemorate Oisin’s life and contribution to the sport, a reminder to his team of their inspirational friend who left them way too soon.

Niall said: “In the wake of profound loss, precious memories guide us to keep a loved one’s legacy alive. For us, Oisín’s legacy will always be intertwined with the GAA and the community of Kilbrittain, where we remember him full of life and joy, both on and off the pitch, playing passionately in the black and amber.”

You can make a donation at www.idonate.ie/crowdfunder/Oisingillain. (See also Star Sport.)