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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Damien Edgar

Garth Brooks gig tribute in memory of North Belfast fan who died swimming in hotel pool

The fiancée of a North Belfast man who died in Spain last month is raffling off their tickets for Garth Brooks' Dublin concert this week in memory of him.

Sean McAleenan, 47, tragically died in a hotel swimming pool while on holiday with Maeve and their family on August 9.

"He would have saved his last pennies to get to a concert from when he was no age, so there's really no better thing to give in his name than these tickets," Maeve told Belfast Live.

Read more: Derry teen tracked down long lost dad on Facebook and surprised him at work

Maeve has taken the generous decision to raffle the tickets off to give Garth Brooks fans a chance to make the concert this Friday night, with every penny raised going to the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust (KBRT).

The charity helps the families of those people from these shores who die abroad, to bring their remains home.

"We just really want to raise as much as possible, because although the KBRT weren't able to fly Sean home, due to a legal loophole based on the Catalan region where we were, they were really good.

"They were a huge support to us and have continued to support us when we come home and hopefully any money raised can help the next person that finds themselves in our situation."

The prize also includes a night's stay at the Hard Rock Hotel in Dublin, where Sean and Maeve would have stayed any time they visited Dublin.

"I contacted the general manager at the Hard Rock Hotel and explained what had happened to Sean and said I would cover the cost of the night's stay, but she immediately said the hotel would cover it," said Maeve.

"I know there are some very very expensive hotel rooms in Dublin this weekend so it'll be a real treat for someone and that's what we would want, is for someone to have a real treat.

"Sean would have wanted someone who couldn't afford to buy the tickets, or couldn't afford accommodation in Dublin, or someone who was as big a fan as him and missed out on tickets, to be in with a chance of this."

Maeve said they were still coming to terms with Sean's tragic death, but that his love for music and his appreciation of Garth Brooks was one of many fond memories they could all reflect on.

"Some of the Garth Brooks songs were very personal to us and one of the songs was actually played at his funeral, ''The Dance'," Maeve said.

"Sean absolutely loved music, he lived for music, especially live music and he was so excited to take me to my first Garth Brooks concert.

"And he loved the Hard Rock Hotel in Dublin, because of all the music memorabilia there and the first time we went, he was going round taking photos of everything."

Maeve's brother runs Belfast City Skinworks and the business is running the raffle through its Facebook page, with tickets costing £25 each.

"He just would have been like a child this week and so excited for the concert," said Maeve.

"The night before he died in Spain, he had bought a new cowboy hat for the concert.

"He would have saved his last pennies to get to a concert from when he was no age, so there's really no better thing to give in his name than these tickets."

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