There’s a life size model of Mick O’Connell in Lár na Páirce, the Museum of Gaelic Games at Thurles. When the museum was being organised in the early nineties one section was devoted to sporting stars and models were made of the greatest hurling and football players. The organisers had no difficulty in choosing Mick O’Connell as the greatest footballer.
The citation named him as ‘one of the most perfect footballers of all time. He played the game closer to perfection than any man. His greatness was in no way coloured either by the glow of victory or the gloom of defeat. His football genius remained above and beyond the result of any particular game.’
Of course there were other great Kerry footballers as Tipperary know only too well, having failed to beat them in a Munster championship game since 1928! One such was Charlie Nelligan, whose jersey is part of the museum’s collection. The Castleisland Desmonds man was an outstanding goalkeeper and played for Kerry for eighteen seasons, 1974-1991. During that time he won 7 All-Ireland medals, 3 National Leagues, 9 Munster titles and 2 All-Stars. He also won an All-Ireland club title.
Another exhibit of note are the football boots of Paddy Bawn Brosnan, the legendary footballer from Dingle, whose county career straddled three decades, 1938 to 1952.. The legend on the boots dates them from the latter year, which suggests they may have been the last pair worn by the great footballer. They are now battered and broken but the wearer lives on in the words of the ballad:
His fishing boat at Dingle Pier stands silent in the dawn;
No more will it be skippered by the peerless Paddy Bawn.
At the end of all we’ll kick football when we meet on God’s green lawn,
And the man who’ll lead us round the field will be peerless Paddy Bawn.
Lár na Páirce also has in its possession the jersey worn by Ger Power and the shooting boots of Mikey Sheehy. Both were members of the great Kerry team of the seventies and eighties and they won sixteen senior All-Irelands between them as well as thirteen All-Stars. It’s unlikely we’ll ever see such success again.
Another great Kerry man can be found in the museum section devoted to former Gaelic players who made a name for themselves in other sports. Such a player was Moss Keane, who started out as a Gaelic player, winning three Sigerson Cups with U.C.C. as well as a Cork county championship and a Munster Club championship. He also won Munster titles at under-21 and junior level with Kerry.
He achieved all of this before taking a different sporting road and getting his first international rugby cap in 1974. Had he stayed with Gaelic he would more than likely have won the same All-Irelands as Ger and Mikey, but instead he won 51 international caps with Ireland and a tour with the Lions in 1977. He was on the famous Munster team that defeated the All-Blacks in 1978. Described as a man ‘of few airs and many graces’, his autobiography was titled ‘Rucks, Mauls and Gaelic Football’.
by Seamus J. King
