‘King of the Kingdom’: Mourners honour GAA great Mick O’Dwyer at emotional Kerry funeral
Legendary Kerry Gaelic football player and manager Mick O’Dwyer spread the gospel of the game in his beloved Kingdom and beyond, inspiring countless generations to come, mourners at his funeral Mass were told today.
As Ireland bid farewell to a sporting icon, chief celebrant Fr Seán Jones told the hundreds of people who packed into St Finian’s Church in Waterville in south Kerry, and the hundreds more who stood in the sunshine outside on the Iveragh Peninsula, that Micko was part of the fabric of so many people’s lives.
He recalled a beautiful moment on Friday night as he was locking the church after the removal.
“It was in many ways an overwhelming experience, to be in proximity to somebody who has made such an impact in our lives, in our society,” Fr Jones said.
“One person happened to find their way in to the church. This man simply just walked up the aisle, he bowed his head, and he blessed himself, and I’m sure in the silence he offered his own personal prayer.
“We had a brief exchange before he left and he told that he never knew Micko, never met him, he knew of him.
“But he had a desire to drive here to the parish to pay his respects because he felt part of his life.
“And if that is so for one so removed, how much more it is for those who knew him, for you who loved him, and how deep and special those moments that you would have shared, experiences of life, good memories that would flow easily into your hearts and minds.
“It would be remiss of me to lay open or try to lay open before you Micko’s credential, his achievements, his successes, to try to attempt to break open his working mind, and his philosophy of participation, his pedagogy of sport, of leadership, or of management.
“However that was one thing in the countless sharings, and there have been so many, but one thing stood out and stayed with me, and I owe this to one man in the congregation - Marty Morrissey.
“One of the lines you said is that Micko had a desire to spread the gospel of the game. And he did it in spades.
“It was so beautiful yesterday to see the young boys and girls of this parish of Waterville and Dromod GAA stand proudly by Micko’s statue down in the village, inspired by him, encouraged by him.
“And that’s the real fruits of Micko’s missionary work, in spreading the gospel of the game.
“Let’s not forget that at the young tender age of 79, he brought Waterville/Dromod u14s to win the Kerry County league division A title.
“A win is a win.
“And to these young players, who are now young ambassadors in our parish, are giving our younger players the inspiration that was instilled in them, spreading the gospel of the game to countless generations to come.”
Born in Waterville in 1936, Micko died peacefully in Kenmare Community Hospital on Thursday. He was 88.
Over the course of his remarkable sporting career, he won four All-Ireland titles with his beloved Kerry as a player between 1959 and 1970, helping the team lift the Sam Maguire in 1959, 1962, 1969 and 1970. He also won 12 Munster Championships, including eight in a row, and eight National Football League titles.
He retired from playing the game in 1974 but a year later he became the new Kerry manager, and would go on to become one of the greatest football managers of all time, guiding his county to eight All-Ireland titles, including a four-in-a-row between 1978 and 1981 and a three-in-a-row between 1984 and 1986.
Under his leadership, Kerry won 11 Munster titles in 12 seasons and three National Football Leagues, and the county produced some of the most gifted players to ever play the game – one of the greatest teams during a golden era for the game.
After 15 years in charge, he went on to coach Kildare from 1991 to 1994, and when he was reappointed in 1997, he steered them to their first Leinster title in 42 years, and then to their first All-Ireland final appearance in 70 years in 1998 where they lost to Galway.
In 2002, Micko took over the Laois team and the following year, the county won their first Leinster title in 57 years. He went on to manage Wicklow and Clare. He was inducted into the GAA Hall of Fame in 2014.
Fr Jones, the parish priest of Dromod and Waterville, was joined on the altar for Micko’s Requiem Mass on Saturday by co-celebrants, Fr Padraig Ó Siochrú and Fr Larry Kelly.
Mourners were led by Micko’s family, including his wife, Geraldine, his sons John, Karl and Robert, his stepdaughter Emma, his daughters-in-law Geraldine, Mary, Sandra and Liz, his grandchildren Shane, Amy, Lynn, Pierce, Dylan, Clodagh, Lauren and his step grandchildren, Holly, Cathal and Emily. He was predeceased by his first wife, Mary Carmel, and their son Micheál (Haulie).
Gifts at the altar representing his passions in life sat atop tables draped in the green and gold of his beloved Kerry, and in the red and white of his local club, Waterville GAA.
They included a Gaelic football, his address and phone book, his accordion to symbolise his love of music, one of his favourite chocolate bars, a rolled-up match programme which was a regular feature of his ‘match-day attire’, a photograph of him and Geraldine, a trophy of a golfer in full swing which he won in a golf competition, and a miniature Sam Maguire trophy.
“The family told me that he kept this as a reminder that the real one was never too far away. I believe it’s only about three-and-a-half months away,” Fr Jones joked.
Music was provided by country and Irish star, Kathy Durkin, supported by Andreas and Aoife Durkin, and in a reflection read after communion, broadcaster Marty Morrissey described Micko as the “king of the Kingdom” who people across the country loved.
“You were some man for one man,” he said.
“When I see black and white photos of you from back in the 1950s, I have to admit you were one handsome guy. Tom Cruise or George Clooney would not be fit to tie your laces when it comes to good looks.
“As I say these words, I can see you smiling back at me with that roguish grin and a little wink. I can ever hear you say, ‘Marty, you're dead right there’.
“This is the Kingdom and you will always be the king. But your gift goes beyond the county boundaries.” He said Micko brought great joy to Laois, Kildare and Wicklow - to levels they never knew before or could hardly remember, “That is a gift from God. That is the gift you gave Micko because of your passionate love for Gaelic football and for community,” Mr Morrissey said.
“You got people to believe that dreams can come true, that anything is possible.
“I had this dream during the week that as you pass through the pearly gates of heaven, St Peter will meet you and say ‘thank God you’re hear Micko, we need a player manager. And your response will be ‘Peter, training starts tomorrow night at 7pm’.”
Developer Michael O’Flynn, a close friend of Micko’s for over 40 years, delivered the eulogy by first explaining why a Cork man was honouring one of the greatest figures in Kerry football.
“I was lucky enough to be a close friend of Micko’s and, in a letter of wishes that he wrote a few years ago and opened after he passed away he nominated me for this Eulogy and I am privileged to honour his wishes,” he said.
“Those of you who knew Micko will know that when Micko tells you “you’re in charge”, it really means that Micko is in charge and you do what he asks you to do and that is exactly what is happening here at this moment ... thank you Micko.”
He recalled his remarkable sporting achievements, both as a player and manager, recalling his style of play as being “composed yet aggressive, skilful yet relentlessly determined” and his impact as manager where his vision and leadership helped to propel Kerry football into a new era of dominance.
“It was his ability to inspire and bring out the best in those around him that set him apart,” he said.
“Under Micko’s guidance, Kerry would go on to win an unprecedented four consecutive All-Ireland titles between 1975 and 1978. This feat, never before achieved in the history of the game, marked Micko as one of the most successful and influential managers Gaelic football has ever seen.
“His strategic genius, paired with his deep understanding of the game, helped shape the careers of players who went on to become legends themselves, too many to mention. He had an innate ability to spot talent and nurture it.
“Not only did he teach skill, passion and love of the game to his players, he taught a discipline, dedication and life skills I am sure many of his former players brought forward into their personal lives.
“He often boasted about the time in 1975 when the Kerry team trained for 27 successive nights and nobody complained - they knew better.
“As a manager, he had a unique way of getting the best out of his players, not just tactically, but personally.
“He knew that for a team to succeed, there had to be trust and respect between the men on the field.
“He instilled in his players a sense of pride in the jersey, a belief in themselves, and a relentless drive to give their all – not just for the team, but for each other. Under his leadership, Kerry football became synonymous with excellence, and Micko’s name became a byword for success, but always with humility and respect.”
He also paid tribute to his character off the field and to the impact he had on his community.
“Micko’s loyalty was unmatched - to his players, his friends, his community and his family. He always had time for people, no matter how busy his life was,” he said.
“Whether you were a fellow manager, a player on his team, or simply someone he encountered along the way, Micko made you feel valued, heard, and supported.
“As a sporting legend he was only known as Micko. But for many who were privileged to be close to him, they knew the man behind the accolades.
“They knew him as a family man.
“Micko was a very matter of fact type of man, and while like many men of his generation, he might not have been great at expressing his feelings, he was deeply proud of his four sons, John, Robbie, Karl and Haulie, who sadly passed in 2022.
“Those who knew Micko would recognise that his late wife, Mary Carmel, was the unwavering strength in his life.
“A remarkable wife, mother, and businesswoman, she deeply understood his passion for sports and offered steadfast support behind the scenes.
“He was astoundingly intelligent, effortlessly articulate, and entirely self-educated—a man whose natural instincts alone propelled him to remarkable achievements.
He said Micko was lucky enough to re-discover happiness with his wife Geraldine who cared for and supported him through his declining health, and he thanked all the medical teams who cared for him in recent years, but especially those at Kenmare Community Hospital.
“Let us be inspired by the way he lived his life and the values he held dear,” he said.
“Micko may no longer be with us in body, but his legacy, his lessons, and his friendship will live on in all of us, forever.
“His statue in the centre of Waterville will survive the generations and so it should.
“Micko, you were a giant in the world of Gaelic football, but more importantly, you were a giant in the lives of those who knew and loved you.
“We will miss you, but we will always carry your spirit with us.”
Micko’s remains were buried afterwards in the graveyard beside the church.
There were moving scenes as one of his great friends, Paddy Fogarty, the president of Waterville GAA club, played the accordion as the coffin was lowered into the grave.
Among the mourners were Taoiseach Micheál Martin, the President, who was represented by his aide-de-camp, Colonel Tom McGrath, the Tánaiste, represented by Commandant Patrick Moroney, and GAA President Jarlath Burns.
Also in attendance were former GAA greats, Mickey Ned O’Sullivan, Jack Ó Sé, Eoin Liston, Maurice Fitzgerald, as well as former GAA President Seán Kelly MEP, and former Kerry footballer and Sports Minister, Jimmy Deenihan, former Meath manager Seán Boylan, Michael Cahill TD, Tommy Walsh, and Tim Murphy, chairman of the Munster Council.
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