The death of 34-year-old former Westmeath footballer Eoin Miller, Cloneyheigue, Kilbeggan on Friday, November 24th, 2017 after a short illness caused widespread shock and sadness throughout the Lake County. A first cousin of former Laois midfielder Padraig Clancy, the Ballinagore clubman was no mean centrefielder himself and filled the position for the Westmeath minors in 2001. Eoin - who was married to Ruth, with a young son, Matthew - had the distinction of becoming the first captain of a Westmeath football club team to lift a Leinster title in 2005 when Ballinagore defeated Grangenolvan of Kildare in the Leinster club JFC final. 

An active member of the club since his youth and a former underage player with Ennell Shamrocks, Eoin was a very young captain that year but he drove the team on from midfield with tremendous leadership and determination. The indomitable midfield talisman went on to add a county IFC medal in 2007 and undoubtedly would still have been playing in 2017, either in the engine room or on the edge of the square, had he not been struck down by illness. 

Ballinagore GAA club, who provided a Guard of Honour at Eoin's funeral in Tyrrellspass, paid the following tribute on their Facebook page: "We in Ballinagore GAA are deeply saddened as Eoin was an active member of our club, both on and off the playing field, from his youth. A larger than life character, Eoin could be best described as a gentle giant. On the field of play, his physique was imposing but his style was that of elegance. Off the field, Eoin was an active committee member of our club for many years where he held various roles. He was always helpful, insightful and full of energy. He was particularly helpful and generous of his time with our younger footballers and they all looked up to him as a result. Words cannot express how saddened we are to hear this tragic news. Eoin was a soldier on the field of play and he soldiered his illness with great dignity and strength right to the end."