Galway Advertiser 2008/GA_2008_06_05/GA_0506_E1_034.pdf 

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34 R E M E M B E R I N G

T R E N T

www.galwayadvertiser.ie

June 5 2008

Photographer Peter Harkin mourns the loss of his former colleague.

Life through a lens -- Models Mary Lee and Lynda Duffy were often photographed by the late Trent Keegan.

Farewell Trent
BY CAITLIN O'HANLON
The last time I saw Trent Keegan we were standing in the middle of the road right in the heart of one of the roughest areas of Mombasa, Kenya. With his ever-present lens pack slung low on his hips, carrying nearly every possession he'd claim he'd ever need, he gave me a tight hug and wished me a safe journey back to Ireland. I told him to be safe wherever he ended up on his often erratic and unpredictable travels. We laughed and I left with a feeling of happiness (and slight jealousy) that he was staying in Africa, living his dream, and loving every minute of it. Later we would joke via text message at how apt it was that our "last goodbye" would be in the middle of a Kenyan slum, where we had spent so much time over the previous two weeks, working to garner media attention for a local charity. How unaware was I at the time that it really was our final farewell. I first met Trent in the spring of 2007 while he was doing freelance work for my newspaper, Galway First, and I was having a fun-filled evening with friends. Having only been on the job a few weeks, I took an instant liking to this energetic `gentle giant' who had an enthusiasm for life and his work that I had never experienced before. Over the next few months we would continue to run into each other, off and on, at various events and nightclubs throughout the city. He joked that either we were working him too hard or I was drinking too much. I'm not sure we ever established which was the truth. Our friendship grew over a shared passion for the media, a wide circle of mutual friends, and countless bottles of wine. We often discussed his dream of getting into combat photography. His passion for bringing to the world a part of life so few of us knew, was evident each time he spoke of it. When I found out late last year that Trent would be leaving Ireland in early 2008, I was disappointed at the thought of losing a friend but equally excited for him when we discussed what he hoped the future would hold. A trip to Africa, he said, was hopefully on the cards following a brief trip home to see the family and friends back in New Zealand and Australia. My excitement would return just a few weeks later when I was offered the chance to head to Mombasa, Kenya in March to do some radio and print work with the IrishKenyan charity Sponsor an African Scholar. Elated at the task of learning the native Swahili. He took it all in his stride and he flourished. He truly was a man in his element. It is those memories of Trent, of those two short weeks, that I will take with me throughout my life. Remembering that I was one of the lucky ones, of the hundreds of people whose lives he touched, I was one of the ones who got to see Trent living out his dream. And while it might have been fleeting, it was his. And he loved every minute of it. Frank Naughton sang `Nella Fantasia' and `Danny Boy' at Tuesday's service, attended by several hundred friends of Trent (see below).

Above Rev Patrick Towers at Tuesday's memorial service for Trent Keegan, while below Trent's friend, reporter JIm Gallagher, read letters from Trent's parents Mike and Trish. Pix: Mike Shaughnessy

Farewell, Sunshine. Photo: Melissa Mannion. prospect, I mentioned my plans to Trent hoping that maybe he would be in Africa by then and we could catch up. Never one to miss the perfect opportunity Trent enquired if the charity might like to have a photographer there with me. Next thing I knew I was in Africa, living one of my own dreams, and playing what I hope was a huge part in the beginning of his. But something was different. I had known Trent for the better part of a year at this point yet it was like I was experiencing a whole new man. He thrived in the African sun and was thrilled by every adventure that was thrown in his path, including the daunting Trent might be gone, but he will never be forgotten. He has left behind a legacy that few others could ever match. He will live on for each of us who experienced, even for the briefest moment, his greatness. He will live on through both the images he printed on a page, and through the images he imprinted on our minds. Sleep well Sunshine, until we meet again.

Donations can be made in honour of Trent's life to Sponsor an African Scholar Ltd (www.saas.ie) or Goal Ireland (www.goal.ie)