Death of the man who got one of Offaly GAA's most important scores

THE death has taken place of the footballer who got one of the most important scores in the history of Offaly GAA. Eddie Kennedy's late winning point in the 1964 All-Ireland minor football final against Cork sealed a 0-15 to 1-11 win and everything else flowed beautifully after that.

The first great Offaly football team, the 1960 and 1961 Leinster senior football champions, had been the first to sow the seeds of future success. Only the presence of an outstanding Down team prevented them from being the first to bring the Sam Maguire Cup to Offaly – they were beaten by Down in the 1960 All-Ireland semi-final and the 1961 All-Ireland final, in front of a record attendance in Croke Park.

Both games had their share of controversial incidents and turning points and Offaly were so close to getting across the line. Within a few years, a handful of outstanding young footballers had brought the first All-Ireland football title to the county and Gracefield man, Eddie Kennedy was a cherished part of that team.

As things transpired, Eddie Kennedy ended up being a footnote in the Offaly GAA story but his contribution was profound. That 1964 All-Ireland final win was absolutely pivotal to Offaly winning their first All-Ireland senior football titles in 1971 and 1972 – they had a golden era from 1969 to 1973 when they won four Leinster senior football titles and also lost an All-Ireland final to Kerry in 1969.

That 1964 team produced some of the greatest footballers to play the game, men who are still folk heroes in Offaly, though they are now advancing steadily through their 70s and approaching their 80th birthday. Martin Furlong, John Smith, Mick Ryan, Eugene Mulligan, Willie Bryan, Tony McTague, Jody Gunning and Mick O'Rourke all won All-Ireland senior football medals in '71 and '72 – Mulligan, Bryan and Furlong were the national footballer of the year in 1971, '72 and '82 and won All-Star awards along with Ryan and McTague.

Without that 1964 All-Ireland win, Offaly's history could have been very different. Maybe that bunch of outstanding footballers would have came through anyway but that 1964 title gave tremendous confidence to all young players in Offaly and they embarked on a great run. It also had a positive spin off for hurling as they emerged a bit later and Offaly went on to enjoy three magical decades in the 1970s, '80s and '90s.

It would be stretching things to suggest that it would not have happened without that minor win but when Eddie Kennedy popped over that winning point in the dying moments of that All-Ireland final in 1964, the stars of a county changed – a late save from Martin Furlong in the final also helped them get across the line.

Many of his team mates went onto become household names and his name may not have been remembered in the same way as Furlong, Mulligan, Ryan, McTague, Bryan, et-al, but Eddie Kennedy was no fly by night footballer.

Fast and skilful, accurate with an eye for the posts, Eddie Kennedy continued to play football at a high level for over a decade after 1964. There was a huge volume of excellent footballers in Offaly in that era and winning your place on the county team was no easy achievement.

Eddie Kennedy played U-21 football for Offaly and four National Football League games for Offaly seniors, one in 1966 and three in 1970. Two of his 1970 league games were at centre half forward with the other two in his familiar number 13 jersey.

He gave Gracefield GAA Club great service during this proud club's greatest era. They won the Offaly Senior Football Championship in 1970 and 1972 with Kennedy playing an important role. In 1971, they became the first winners of the new Leinster Club Senior Football Championship. He played as Gracefield lost senior football finals in 1965, 1968 and 1974. Titles were hard won in Offaly in the 1960s and 1970s and Gracefield were consistent contenders from 1961 when they won their first through to 1974 when Ferbane beat them – they also lost a final in 1963, before Eddie Kennedy and John Smith came onto the team.

Known fondly as Stan, Eddie Kennedy was a very well known and popular character in Gracefield and Portarlington and news of his death brought great memories flooding back for those privileged to live through those golden days in the 1960s and on.

He lived at Clanmalire Crescent in Portarlington and is survived by brother Paddy, sister Rose, brother-in-law John, sister-in-law Mary, nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours and friends.

He was buried in St Michael's Cemetery, Portarlington last week after Requiem Mass in the parish Church.

May he rest in peace.