Editor’s note: In response to Kerry Temple’s Soundings: Post-game wrap-up, we received this letter, which we now share with you:
Kerry,
My name is Shawn Kearney. After reading your article, I wanted to share something with you.
My brother and I own a sports bar, outside of Philadelphia. It’s in Milmont Park, Pennsylvania. The bar is called the Milmont Inn.
This past Halloween we lost one of our best friends and brother. His name was Daniel ‘Doc’ Dougherty and loved Notre Dame, through and through. He was an 845 union carpenter, father and one of the greatest guys I have ever had the pleasure of associating with. He had a massive heart attack and the coroner said he had the most enlarged heart he had ever seen. I didn’t need a coroner to tell me that.
It was a special season for Doc, and all the “Mont” regulars. Every week the Irish, somehow or another, pulled out a victory. When my buddy passed at the bar on Oct. 31st, we were all Pallbearers. We all had on our Rudy jackets and the bagpipers in full uniform and it was one unbelievable funeral. Hundreds of people came out and celebrated my buddy’s life.
The strangest transformation took place at the bar after Doc passed. All the regulars, the Penn State guys, all the ND haters all started rooting for ND, to win the National Championship. They all wanted Doc, to go out with a win!
It’s been a crazy few months. We honored my buddy and Notre Dame with a huge blow out Monday night. The bar was wall-to-wall, Irish fans. It’s unbelievable to see everyone cheering for one team because of one great man’s passing. I was feeling pretty down but read your article and it lifted my spirits. It’s was a special year to be a ND fan and I think you nailed that in your article.
WE ARE ND!!!
Shawn Kearney, Danny Doc’s Buddy.