The entire Mullingar community was shocked on the evening of Monday, July 31st, 2017 when David Hannon, An Garda Síochána Mullingar and Ballymore, County Westmeath and late of Bray, County Wicklow tragically lost his life. News of the 32-year-old's death hit the local GAA community particularly hard as David was well respected as a football and hurling referee. 

One of the two Gardaí hailed as heroes after rescuing a man from a burning house in Sligo in June, he refereed an IFC match between St Malachy's and Shandonagh just two days prior to his tragic death and was due to take charge of the Westmeath SHC clash between St Brigid's and Brownstown the following Tuesday evening. Widely regarded as an excellent match official, David had worked his way up onto the Leinster referees' panel and oversaw the Leinster U17 hurling championship match between Dublin and Offaly. 

A familiar face around Cusack Park, the Bray native had been working and living in Westmeath with his wife Treasa and young family for a decade and was a member of Fr Dalton's Hurling Club in Ballymore as well as the local Ballymore football club. A referee's whistle was amongst the symbols brought to the altar at David's funeral mass in St Peter's Church, Little Bray and a minute's silence was observed in his honour prior to the meeting of St Brigid's and Brownstown at Cusack Park.