On Monday night Swilly Rovers FC honoured one of their founding members with a 'This Is Your Life' themed evening at the Silver Tassie Hotel.

Eighty three-year-old Paddy Sweeney is considered to be a football legend, not only in Donegal but much further afield, and the members of Swilly Rovers felt it was time to pay tribute to him.

"Paddy is such a football legend and was one of the best players to come out of Donegal in his day. He gave so much to Football and it was only right to honour him," one of the main organisers of the event, Danny Cullen said.

"His heart was always with his home team Swilly Rovers, but he played for big teams such as Strabane, Coleraine and Ards in the North."

Despite having a hugely successful playing career in the North, Paddy turned down offers to go to teams like Arsenal and Middlesborough.

"I was never too keen on playing Senior Football in England as a full-time profession. The money wasn't great at all in those days."

Due to several leg injuries Paddy's playing career was cut short, but that certainly didn't keep him from participating in the world of Football and he turned to management.

Paddy took on a position management with his home team Swilly Rovers and led two successful teams to FAI Junior Cup victory.

After losing in the FAI Junior Cup final in 1953 as a player and the junior team losing in another final in 1958, Paddy managed the first Swilly Rovers junior team to win the cup in 1962 triumphing over Castleview (Cork).

Five years later, in 1967, Orchard United (Dublin) weren't strong enough to prevent Paddy's Swilly Rovers junior team to win yet another FAI Junior Cup.

These two successes mark two of the biggest highlights in the history of Swilly Rovers FC and are everlasting evidence of the huge influence that Paddy had on the club.

Danny Cullen said: "In the days when Paddy was still playing and even when he was managing, thousands of fans would come to Swilly Park to support the teams.

"There was nowhere near as much football coverage as there is today and it was so great to see such a huge support for the club and for Paddy.

"The children learnt their football skills on the streets of Ramelton and if you were good enough to be asked to play for the Rovers, your local team, it was a huge honour."

The end of an era came for Swilly Rovers when Paddy Sweeney retired from Football management during the mid-Seventies, but has always remained a huge supporter of his beloved team.

When it came to organising the event in honour of Paddy, Danny said it was very difficult as it was to remain a surprise.

"The news was all spread through word-of-mouth. We couldn't advertise it as Paddy would have heard about it.

"Over 230 people attended the function but I have no doubt that if we had advertised the number of people attending would have easily doubled."

Football friends and former players came from all over Ireland to pay tribute to Paddy.

All but three of the '62 Junior team and a majority of the '67 came to celebrate their mentor.

Danny said: "There were so many great guests there like Patsy McGowan, the first man to lead Finn Harps FC in the League of Ireland and a close friend of Paddy's and Jobby Crossan, the former Swilly Rovers who captained Manchester City and Sunderland, who also didn't want to miss the opportunity to see his good friend being honoured."

Other special guests included Hugh McDaid, Chairman of Derry City FC and Jim Sheridan, member of the '67 team and former Finn Harps player.

Danny said everyone was so delighted when Paddy made it down and to see the big smile on his face when he saw all his friends and family standing there waiting to greet him.

Paddy said: "It was totally unexpected. They told me they were writing some sort of book on me but I never knew they were organising this event for me.

"My wife just told me I better get ready to go down to the Tassie and meet a few of my friends. It was one of the best nights ever and so many of my friends and former players I coached all came from all over the country.

"It was all very exciting, the presented my with the 'This Is Your Life' book and the sing-song was still going on when I left at 1.30pm"

His friends say Paddy is a man who always has great story to tell and Monday was the perfect night to tell some of them:

"I always enjoined my Football, they were happy times and I made so many great friends, many of whom were there on Monday night. It was so great to see them all and laugh and talk about the brilliant times we had."